Return to L2
by Anonymous Void
Summary: When Duo receives an anonymous letter, he returns to space where his past once again affects his present.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: I got the idea for this fic by reading gundam06serenity's "Somewhere I Belong." If there is any similarities between that fic and this one, gundam06serenity deserves the credit first. You won't find any similarities until the next chapter but I rather get this out of the way first. This is a sign of respect to a clearly superior author and I am giving credit out where credit is due. As for my other fic, "The Deathdealer," I am still working on that one. I plan to complete it but I still need to get ideas for it. By the way, this fic and Deathdealer have nothing in common with each other. Otherwise, enjoy the fic and review afterwards. I'd like to know if you think this is a good idea or not.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Return to L2

Prologue

The light of the television was the only light in the dark room.

The viewer watch dispassionately as the favorite news station of both Earth and the Colonies played out the scene of the latest Preventer raid. A massive drug ring had been hit and hit hard. The kingpin of the ring had managed to escape but it wouldn't be long until the man's capture would be at hand.

None of this interested the young man as he scanned the group of Preventers for a certain individual. That individual was not shown by the camera. He was never shown by the camera…

He almost snarled at that. Who did those people think they were? They had a unbelievably valuable asset at their command…and they were just letting him rot away, slowly being covered in dust.

He would not stand for this. He needed to get out of there and soon.

The young man slowly stood up, stretching tense muscles. He wore baggy sweat pants and a tight, grey tank top. His body had muscle, not too bulky but not too thin either; the kind that was used to exercise, all of it covered by the pale white skin natural to Colonists.

With a grace only found with dancers and martial artists, he left the room, entering a private study furnished with shelves of books, a couch, a couple cushioned chairs, and a large sturdy desk. On the desk lay a large book which the young man held with reverence.

This book that he so fondly handled was nothing more than a scrapbook, a collection of memories that he cherished and wished to keep. The memories of his early past was permanently lost, the only evidence of it being the small collection of unnoticed scars on the young man's body. Only in the past few years, since the middle of the first Eve War was there scraps added to the book.

However, most of the scraps in the book were not that of the young man but of someone else. Someone he had been keeping track of since the first images of him became public. Newspaper clippings and photos of this person were eagerly added as time passed. But now, there was hardly anything on this person and it infuriated him.

But not for long. No, he was going to change all that.

Beside the book lay a few sheets of paper, the young man's scrawl on each page. He carefully folded the pages, placing them in an envelop, adding a small trinket as well. All was set; now all he needed to do was mail the letter and wait.

Pushing blond bangs out of his face, the young man grinned and spoke to himself.

"Don't worry, Kid. Help is on da way. Ya won't be lonely or used again. I promise."


	2. Letter

Author's Note: Now this is where it starts getting down to business. If the prologue made absolutely no sense, this chapter might clear up confusion. As before, I thank gundam06serenity for creating "Somewhere I Belong." Without that, this fic would not exist. This is not a direct copy, it is my own spin on things. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Letter

Duo Maxwell sighed in boredom as yet another day passed him by.

It was the same old thing everyday. He'd get up, eat breakfast, come to work, do nothing for the whole day, go back home, ponder the mysteries of life and his current situation, eat dinner, and go back to bed.

It was dull. Mind numbingly dull.

He was, in part, to be blame for this state of affairs. His behavior and actions during the war had created a bias towards him. He wasn't taken seriously anymore, not by his superiors, not by his peers, and especially not by his comrades-in-arms.

During the war, he had pulled prank after prank on everybody, nothing held sacred. His light, carefree attitude put him at odds among his fellow Gundam pilots. Heero and Wufei were much too serious for their own good, so Duo thought. Both reacted harshly and angrily to his actions, no matter what they were. Trowa was an enigma, silent and emotionless, letting nothing get to him. The only pilot he considered a close friend was Quatre but even then there were times when he felt ostracized by the blond.

He knew after meeting each pilot just once that each had a mask on. Heero's was one of impassiveness. He tried so hard to keep his emotions hidden but it was easy to tell through body language alone when he was irritated or mad. Trowa's was one of indifference. Unlike Heero, Trowa had full control over his emotions and body language. To Duo, it meant that Trowa was trying to hide himself, but from what he didn't know. Quatre's was a kind and patience mask. It only served to disarm others, allowing the true manipulator that the Winner heir was to work efficiently. It also served to keep back the crazed killer within the lad, a killer created through insanity and the Zero system. Wufei's was one of anger and righteousness. It spoke volumes about the Chinese's fears of being wrong and being weak.

Duo was able to see through all their masks but none saw through his mask; his perfected jester's mask. The real Duo was probably more bloodthirsty and insane than any of the others but that jester's mask kept it in check, just like Quatre's mask.

He was saddened and frustrated by this all. It only served to prove to him that he was tolerated. When he had first signed up for this job, he had been expecting to do something to improve this world. Instead, he was given nothing to do, not even a shred of paperwork. Even now he would be overjoyed to have a single piece of paper on his desk. Alas, it was not meant to be.

He began to wonder again. Why was he still here when it was obvious that he wasn't wanted? Heero, Wufei, and Trowa were always off on missions and assignments, doing something to better the world. Quatre was working as head of his family's corporation, helping rebuild the areas torn apart and ruined by war. And here he was sitting around doing nothing.

The door to his office opened and his head perked up. Now there was an unusual sight. A secretary eyed his plain office in bafflement. It was obvious the woman expected some sort of decoration on the walls or memorabilia on his desk but those expectations were met with disappointment.

"A letter has arrived for you, Mr. Maxwell," the secretary stated. Duo held his hand out eagerly as the woman placed the envelope in his hand. He waited for the employee to leave before he delved into the confines of this heaven-sent distraction. He pulled out a few pieces of paper with writing scrawled on them. A token fell out, landing on his desk. Looking down at the token, he saw a blue rimmed poker chip with a red letter M on it.

Frowning, Duo looked back up to what he now knew as a letter. He was difficult to read, but it was much simpler to understand if he read it aloud.

_Hey Kid,_

_How's life ben treatin you? Hope ta heaven it's ben good ta ya._

_It's taken me awhile ta find ya. Ya can never believ wat me reaction was when I first saw ya up on da television. I've ben keepin track of ya since den. Let me tell ya, it wasn't easy._

_I want ta see ya agan. I want ta talk ta ya agan. It's ben to long. I no how ya are livin. I dunt like how those Preventars are treatin ya. It's not rite, not rite at all. Ya dunt deserv dis._

_Ya need ta com home agan, Kid. Back ta L2. I no ya dunt want ta but trust me, I can tak car of ya now. Ya see da adres on the letter? Dat is wher ya can find me._

_In dis letter is a blu chip wit a red letter on it. When ya arriv, sho dis chip arond an me peple wil bring ya ta me. I hope ta see ya somtime nex week._ (1)

There was nothing else. Despite having such a small amount of information for so much paper, Duo was stumped. It was as if this person didn't know how to spell correctly or anything. The words were large, only a sentence or two could fit on one page. Plus, the handwriting was extremely sloppy.

But who could it be? The letter writer had called him "Kid." Only one person ever called him that but he was dead. He had been dead years before the Eve Wars ever began.

So who else was it? It couldn't be Howard. The old man had never called him Kid before. It definitely wasn't one of the other pilots. None of them had sloppy handwriting and terrible grammar that only a child could read easily.

Duo took a look at the small blue chip, looking at it as if it held all the answers.

He didn't get any answers and the chip gave none. Now what?

Sighing, Duo put the papers back in the envelope, along with the chip, and sat back in the chair.

There was a time limit apparently. The sender expected him next week. Could this be a trap? There were still quite a few people out there who would love nothing more than to knock a Gundam pilot down a few pegs.

Then again, what did he have to lose? He wasn't valuable to anyone. No one really noticed or cared if he was here or not. Whoever sent this letter was offering an opportunity to escape this drudgery. The question was did he want to leave?

He'd wait a bit. It was Friday and there was the weekend to enjoy. He'd come to a decision Monday then.

With the matter closed, Duo waited for something else to happen but ended up waiting for quitting time. Sighing to himself, he left the office to return to his apartment. Hopefully, this weekend would be promising.

Hopefully.

* * *

(1) This is a translation of the letter, in case you couldn't understand it:

Hey Kid

How's life been treating you? Hope to heaven it's been good to you.

It's taken me a while to find you. You can never believe what my reaction was when I first saw you up on the television. I've been keeping track of you since then. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy.

I want to see you again. I want to talk to you again. It's been too long. I know how you are living. I don't like how those Preventers are treating you. It's not right, not right at all. You don't deserve this.

You need to come home again, Kid. Back to L2. I know you don't want to but trust me, I can take care of you now. You see the address on the letter? That is where you can find me.

In this letter is a blue chip with a red letter on it. When you arrive, show this chip around and my people will bring you to me. I hope to see you sometime next week.


	3. Resignation

Author's Note: Now this is where I take complete control of this fic. If you are reading this then you already know that I've upped the rating. This is mainly due in part to the fact that Duo shows off his dirty mouth in this one. A bunch of swear words in one paragraph alone! I do this only to protect innocents from this foul language and I also don't want getting on me for it. Let me warn you that things only go downhill from here. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Foul language, you have been warned (a bit redundant isn't it?).

Resignation

Nothing happened.

Nothing at all.

This frustrated Duo Maxwell to no end. Nobody called. Nobody came over. His "services" were not needed. Were they ever? No, never.

None of those he considered "friends" had wanted to spend time with him. Hell, he even called _them_ and asked if they could hang out for a bit. Quatre was "too busy," Trowa didn't "have time," Heero hung up on him without so much as a word, and Wufei told him to stop calling him and to stop holding up his phone line.

Friends, huh? If these were friends, then he hated to be their enemy.

It hurt, it really did. No one wanted him. No one wanted to be with him, to spend time with him. And it hurt. He didn't know what was keeping him here, even now.

What made him join the Preventers in the first place? Oh yeah, that's right. He wanted to help people, wanted to make a difference in the world. It seemed the world didn't want him. At all.

Duo began to type furiously on his keyboard. Today he would make his preparations. He would move money from all his accounts to others. He'd pack up what few belongings he had and clean up his desk. That last one would be easy, he didn't have anything to pack up.

But where would he go? Then he remembered the letter he received Friday. Would he go to L2, the man-made hell that he had spent his life trying to leave? Would he give up everything and return to the one place that literally didn't care about its residents? Well, where else could he go that would make it difficult to be tracked down? Though it would be obvious he'd go there first, none of them knew how easy it was to disappear on the streets of L2. Even if he used his name, it would still be a long time before anyone found him. Hell, the letter sender might even offer him a place to stay.

With that plan in mind, Duo ordered a shuttle ticket to L2 on-line. The flight would be for tomorrow. Okay, there were only a few other arraignments to make.

Leaving the office that evening, he stopped to pick-up a resignation form. No one bothered him or asked questions. Once again, he left the Preventer Headquarters in silence.

---

Okay, today was it. He was ready. He'd only be here a few minutes and then he'd be back at his apartment to grab all his possessions before going straight to the shuttle port. No one would pay any attention to him, as usual, so it would be simple to leave his paperwork on Une's desk, no problem.

Une's secretary wasn't there so Duo just walked into Une's empty office and laid his resignation form, along with another sheet of paper with information on how to contact him. He knew Une would not let him go, no matter how underused he was, without being able to keep tabs on him since he is an ex-terrrorist.

He was just about to leave that part of the building when someone called out to him. Just his luck, it was Une and she had a file with her.

"Agent Maxwell," the Preventer director called out again. Duo stood still until she caught up with him. "I have an assignment for you," she spoke.

Duo didn't answer. His hands clenched into fists. "Now?" he asked, his voice holding a tinge of anger in it.

Une frowned at him. Before she could say anything else, Duo interrupted her. "It's a bit late for that. You don't own me anymore. I'm out."

Une looked puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

"Why don't you go on down to your little office. You'll find on your desk a notice of resignation signed by Yours Truly. Now if you'll excuse me…"

"I know you haven't seen much action," Une began, causing Duo's anger to increase, "but what reasons do you have other than that to prompt this turn of events?"

Duo glared at her. "Besides the fact that my talents are going to waste here, why don't you tell me?"

Une frowned again. "Mr. Maxwell, I understand if you're tired of paperwork—"

Something in Duo snapped. This woman, she didn't know anything, nothing at all. Thus, before she could go on, Duo interrupted her.

"Paperwork? You think I'm tired of _paperwork_??!" Duo snarled. "The only paperwork I have filled out here is that resignation form. I never received _any_ thing. No missions, no paperwork, no nothing! I have spent the last _three_ years of my life doing absolutely _nothing_ and getting paid for it! That's not what I want to do and I'm not going to do it anymore for you or anybody else! So you can take that mission and shove it up your ass! I don't care if you arrest me for obscene language or whatever else you think you could pin on me. Fuck you, Une. Fuck the Preventers, fuck Heero, fuck Wufei, fuck Trowa, fuck Quatre, fuck everybody in this building! I'm getting the fuck out of here. Good day, Miss Une. See ya on the flip side if you ever get tired of this bullshit."

With that, Agent Duo Maxwell was gone, in his place the civilian Duo Maxwell. Leaving a stunned Une behind him, Duo left the Preventer Headquarters for the last time.

Later that afternoon found Duo on a shuttle heading to L2.


	4. L2

Author's Note: This chapter doesn't have too much going on. Its only importance is to explain the kind of place L2 is. This is not a filler chapter, however, and some of the stuff that is in this chapter comes back later into the story. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: A bit boring, nothing really to comment on.

L2

The moment he stepped off the shuttle, Duo did not take in a deep breath of the colony air. He already knew what flavored it and he had no wish to have it again.

Poverty. Fear. Hopelessness. Despair. Hunger. Corruption.

He knew these all too well. He knew how the powerful subjugated the less fortunate here, how the poor were prevented from rising to a higher economic class, trapped in an endless cycle of poverty. He knew that the predators here were both feared and hated. Despite this, no one did anything to change it because the predators had all the power here and owned everything.

Crime was rampant. Hell, it was the only way one could survive here. The law allowed it to continue because they of all people knew that crime was the only way a person could _survive _on L2. Homeless shelters were a joke, orphanages glorified child labor camps. All programs created to solve the problems here had all failed.

The Alliance had once tried martial law here. That had done nothing but bring them more problems, bring only more instability to an all ready unstable Colony. Oz had tried their hand here but their tactics ultimately failed. Politics of the Earth and other Colonies held no weight here. For the rest of the Eve Wars, L2 was left alone, untouched by any of the conflicts involving Oz, Romafeller, White Fang, or the Barton Foundation.

And now Duo Maxwell, pilot 02, ex-terrorist, and native to this Colony, had returned to the one place he had spent his whole life trying to escape.

Oh, how he could kill someone right about now.

Like all the others getting off the shuttle, Duo trudged out of the port. Once outside, he didn't need to look around to know there weren't any taxis. Instead, rival gangs hung out here, offering "protection" from the elements of L2 in exchange for a nominal fee. He avoided these and made his way deeper into the Colony.

He kept in his coat pocket the letter and chip that he had received only last week. He had memorized the address on the ride here, a simple matter for an ex-Gundam pilot. Now he was looking at the rusted street signs, searching for the street he needed to find in order to reach his destination. He passed whore-houses and drugdealers along the wait, both trying to sell their wares to him. The cries of widows and children, the muffled sounds of muggings, the screams of shpokeepers calling after thieving orphans did not instigate any action from him. He ignored everything, setting his mind to this simple task. He eventually found a law "enforcer." Wary of the officer, he asked for directions to his destination. The officer was kinder than most that the pilot had remembered and soon he was making his way closer to the address.

He noticed, as he pressed on, that his surroundings were improving. That was all the clue he needed to know that wherever he was heading, it was in the upper district of L2. This only served to pique his curiosity as to who sent him the letter.

The darkening of the Colony's lights alerted Duo to the time. It was L2's "sunset." "Night" would be falling soon. That meant that the infamous "nightlife" of L2 would some be crawling out. He quickened his pace in response to this.

There! Looking at the better-kept street sign, Duo knew he was on the right track and getting closer to the finish. Turning onto the street, he began to eye the addresses, searching for the one from which the letter had come from.

It took a few minutes but eventually he found the matching address. Looking at the building, it looked as if he was standing in front of a hotel of sorts. By the looks of it, it didn't look anything like the seedy inns and motels that inhabited the poorer districts of L2. No, this place was well-lighted, well taken care of, and wealth glowed from the building itself. From the main entrance, he could see people coming and going, either entering the building or leaving it. He could tell by the clothing alone that they were all members of L2's elite, the rich and powerful, all of them criminals.

His stomach clinched and he had to fight down his anger at all these people. Who did they think they were, laughing and enjoying themselves while others were starving to death? He had the sudden urge to whip out any weapon he had on his person and go on a killing spree. He reigned back that bloodthirsty side of himself and took deep breathes, trying to calm himself down. Going on a mass murderfest was not going to help him or anybody else, despite the fact that it would make him feel better.

Once he had calmed himself down to bearable levels, Duo stiffly made his way inside the building. If the outside was impressive, the inside was spectacular. The place screamed money. The walls were made of marble, more than likely imported from Earth. The floor was covered with rich carpet of a crimson red color. A large staircase before him led up to an impressive second floor. Paintings decorated the walls, along with sculptures and any other kinds of artworks. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings, lighting everything that wasn't lit up by the building's more common lamps.

From the corner of his eye, Duo spied a reception desk. Recalling a line from the letter that said to talk with the person's people, Duo made his way to the desk.

"Can I help you sir?" the receptionist drawled out, a look of boredom on his face. Duo resisted the urge to give the man a look of disgust. Digging in his pockets, he removed the letter and began the search for the chip.

"You are holding up the other guests, sir," the receptionist said, an impatient look growing on his face.

Duo growled to himself but succeeded in his search. "Yeah, you can help me," he drawled out with an L2 accent, something that would have caused the other pilots to stare at him. "Does this mean anything to you?" He held the chip out to the man's face and waited for a reaction.

The one he got was not one he would have expected.

Immediately, the receptionist called for somebody else and the next thing Duo knew he was being led to an elevator. People were staring at him as he got in. Now Duo was really curious.

"Hey, what's going on, man?" Duo asked his guide, a large men that gave the pilot the impression of a bouncer.

"That chip is a pass to see the boss," the man replied. "Those chips are the only way to get access to this lift. He has never given any of those out, ever."

Now Duo's curiosity was eating him alive. The owner of this place had sent him the letter? Who was this person? Why did he want to meet him of all people so badly?

He didn't know how long the trip was but the elevator stopped suddenly and the doors opened.

"Enjoy your stay," the guide said.

Once he had left the lift, the doors closed behind him. This didn't alarm Duo in the least for some reason.

He looked around at his new surroundings. This place was nice. Not too much furniture but all of it looked comfy. A large, wide-screen, plasma T.V. caught his interest immediately. Approaching what he considered to be the Great Room, he passed a set of stairs that led to a second story. How big was this place anyway?

The place was well lighted and he could see from a set of windows on the far side the whole of L2. Only the richer districts were well lighted while the poorer ones were practically pitch black.

He was so caught up in the sight that he didn't hear a door on the upper floor open silently nor did he hear the almost silent footsteps. He did, however, hear the voice of welcome from the stairs.

"Hey Kid. It's nice seein' ya again. It's ben too long."

He whipped around, hand going for a knife when he found himself captivated by a pair of green eyes. Green eyes that he knew all too well and hadn't seen for so long. His body seemed like jelly as he stared in shock at the sight before him.

His lips opening slightly, he softly spoke a single word.


	5. Solo

Author's Note: Now we're getting into the thick of it. Beware of logical explanations. This is quite possibly the longest chapter thus far. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Warnings are in the eye of the beholder. Sapiness…perhaps. Oh yes, there is a LOT of misspelled words and grammar. This is intentional. You have been warned.

Solo

Duo's eyes were wide as he stared at the figure on the stairs. His lips opened slightly and he breathed out a single word.

"Solo?"

The man on the stairs, or Solo, simply smiled. He wore a simple T-shirt with baggy sweat pants and furry moccasin slippers. Long blond hair was tied into a ponytail and flowed down his back. Handsome, chiseled facial features and gorgeous green eyes made him look almost like an ancient god. The eyes twinkled with mischief as they took in Duo's shocked form. Slowly and with a grace only a thief from L2 could obtain, Solo walked down the rest of the stairs, each foot as silent as the last. Now standing in front of Duo, Solo towered over the ex-pilot by at least a head and a set of shoulders.

"Long time, no see, eh Kid?" Solo greeted.

Duo only stared for a few seconds before launching himself onto Solo, burying his head into the other's shirt. Solo wrapped his long arms around the smaller, willing himself to comfort the younger.

"B-but how…?" Duo managed to get out as he looked back up at his childhood mentor in confusion.

Solo smiled fondly back and made a gesture to the couch. "Would ya like ta sit down a bit? It might take a while."

Duo nodded but didn't relinquish his hold on the other.

"Kid, ya gonna have ta let go of me if ya want ta walk."

"Don't want to," Duo replied, reburying his face into Solo shirt.

Solo sighed. "I'm not goin' anywhere, Kid. Trust me. 'sides, ya must be tired. We can sit down an' look at each oder face ta face betta."

Forcing himself to acknowledge Solo's logic, Duo led the way to the couch where he flopped his body onto the soft cushions, his head resting on the couch's arm. The ex-pilot still had the frame of mind to take off his boots before propping his feet up on the couch. Relaxing into the piece of furniture, Duo gestured for his friend to join him. Shaking his head, Solo sat down by Duo's feet. His nose scrunched up and he began fanning the air in front of his face.

"God, Kid! Wat did ya do ta ya feet? Smells like ya walked 'round in garbage and roadkill!"

"Sorry," Duo apologized, a wide grin on his face.

Grumbling to himself, Solo relocated. He could have gone to another part of the couch or to one of the comfy chairs. He didn't go to either of those. Instead, he managed to push Duo further down the couch and plopped down onto the cushions, resting Duo's head in his lap. Duo's face flushed in embarrassment at the position he now found himself in. He tried to sit up but Solo's hand forced him back down. Normally, Duo's instinctive reaction would have been to grab a hold of the offending limb and wretch it behind the offender's back but Solo's voice stopped that.

"Please don't. I want ya in me lap. It easier dis way. Plus, I dink ya too big an' heavy, an' old, to sit on it."

Duo chuckled as he relaxed again. "Explain," was all he said as he bored his eyes into his friend.

"Ya 'member da last time ya saw me?"

"Yeah, you died in my fucking arms."

"Almost, Kid. Not quite. Just fell unconscious. Luckily, an adult found me an' got me da cure in time."

"Really? What then?"

"Well, ta tell ya da truth, I didn't come out perfectly normal. I 'ad trouble walkin' an' movin' me limbs. 'ad ta get some therapy for dat an' even den I still 'ad problems."

"You have problems now?"

"Naw, Kid. I'll tell ya bout dat later. All ya need ta know now is dat I can move almost as good as when we last saw each oder."

"Okay, then what?"

"I wanted ta find ya and da rest of da gang but couldn't find any of ya. I couldn't of gone out alone on ta da streets, ya know? Woulda been suicide. When I couldn't find any of ya, I looked 'round for a place ta stay. Found it at a small motel downtown. Da guy who ran da place dot he could pay me low wages an' he did. I was practically a slave. But, dare was no way I was goin' ta da horehouse. Woulda rader killed meself dan go dare."

"How'd you get out?"

"It took a while, but I got meself in ta the business itself. Ya know, da books an' stuff. After a couple years, I was practically running da joint. Da oder workers respected me. Den one day, da boss O.D' an' died. Da oders turned ta me toa run da business an' I did. Made it da best damn place in all of L2. When Oz started comin' in ta da Colonies, I 'ad already moved da business here."

"From what I saw, the place looks fancy."

"'ad ta keep up an image, Kid. All da Oz officers came here and so did some of da crooks who own everythin'. Dey came for da gamblin'. See, back at da old place, da main income was gamblin'. It was through dat money dat I got it all here. After dat, it skyrocketed an' now is where ya find me."

Duo whistled. "You really made a place for yourself, didn't you?"

"I got lucky. There are still oders out dare tryin' ta survive. I been trying ta give back, ya know? I know we used ta eat outta garbage cans an' dumpsters when we was younger. I know dare's kids outside eatin' from da dumpster out back. Whatever leftovers we have here, I have da cooks take it all an' put all into new meals which are put in ta da dumpster so da kids can have it. We bof know what it's like ta starve."

Duo nodded in understanding. He knew all about hunger. He knew what it was like to go on days without a morsel of food. When he had snuck onto that sweeper ship, and later caught, he devoured whatever food he got his hands onto. Even during the war he ate a large amount of food. He had overheard Quatre asking once how could he eat so much and yet gain no weight? Till this day, that question has remained unanswered.

He hadn't noticed until now, but Solo was stroking his hair, petting him. It felt…good…

"Ya grew ya hair out, Kid?"

"Yep. Did it to remember you."

"Ya did?"

"Yeah, I missed you. I thought you were dead. I named myself Duo, saying that I would live for the both of us."

"Ya didn't have ta do dat. If anyding, I want you ta live for yaself an' only yaself."

"But I thought you were dead! Now that I know you're alive…I guess I can live for myself. But for so long I've been living for two… I don't know if I could live for myself…"

"Don't talk like dat, Kid," Solo chastised. "Ya can. I'll help ya. Ya gone through so much an' done so much, it's da least I could do."

"You will?"

"Betcha ass I will." Solo smiled. "Duo? Can ya do me a favor?"

"Hm?"

"Can I see ya hair? Witout da braid, I mean."

Duo smiled gently and sat up. With ease, Duo removed the rubber band that held the braid together and unraveled it. He felt strong hands brushing through the long strands and he could have sworn he heard a muttered "Beautiful…"

He closed his eyes as he let Solo do as he wished. He didn't notice that he had leaned back and was reclining into Solo's torso. He fell into a peaceful darkness, a result of the long day he had had.

---

"Kid? Duo?"

Solo shook his head in amusement. His guest had fallen asleep and was using him as a pillow of all things. Not that he minded of course; it had been so long since he held his old friend in his arms.

The kid had grown up handsome. He brushed his fingertips softly against Duo's cheek. He wondered what surprises the kid had hidden but he could wait. He had always been known for his patience. He'd learn all in time.

Sliding his body underneath Duo, Solo sighed and relaxed into the couch's soft cushions. He cradled Duo on his body, using his arms to keep the body in place.

Getting comfortable, Solo waited for sleep to come to him.

* * *

Author's Note: Expecting a translation of the previous conversation? I'm too lazy right now to do that. If you're having problems understanding, speak the conversation out loud. This should give you a better of understanding of what Solo said. Do not fret, I'll clean up Solo's speach in later chapters. Until then, there is going to be a lot more horrible grammar.


	6. Complication

Author's Note: If you were hoping for a clear cut story with a predictable ending, think again! Enter the internal conflict! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: The title alone is all the warning you'll get besides possible language and even more bad grammar.

Complication

He felt warm.

That was how he felt upon waking up that morning. He sighed in contentment and snuggled closer to the source of heat he was laying on. He could stay like this for—

His eyes snapped open and looked down it horror at what he was doing. The source of heat that he had cuddled up with was a person but not just any person. It was the last person he ever thought he would find himself cuddling with.

He mouthed a soundless "Solo" and began to attempt to remove himself from his compromising position. It was then that he realized that Solo, his gracious host, had his arms wrapped around him and he was giving no sign of letting go any time soon.

This was just great. Perfect. This was sure to get him kick back out onto the streets. Still, he was quite comfortable where he was currently and if it was the streets he was destined for, at least he would have a few more minutes of comfort first.

Relaxing his body, Duo rested his head on Solo's chest, which was quite broad he told himself mentally, and waited for his old friend to wake up. The rhythmic rising and falling of Solo's chest was lulling Duo into a restful state of mind. It wouldn't be too long before he fell asleep again. He felt the arms that encircled him tighten gently but he paid it no heed. He rubbed his cheek against the clothed chest, his hair rubbing against the skin on Solo's throat. The body beneath him rumbled a bit, as if it was trying to suppress something. Duo's eyes widened at the realization and his head snapped up, his violet eyes meeting mischievous green.

"An' it was gettin' good too," Solo complained.

Duo's face blushed a brilliant red. "Why didn't you tell me you were awake?!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry, just enjoyin' meself."

Duo blushed harder as Solo buried his face into Duo's unbraided hair. What was going on? The Solo he remembered would have never done something like this! Suddenly, Solo pulled his face away, his nose scrunched.

"Kid, can ya do me a favor?"

"Yeah?"

"Go take a shower an' clean yaself up. Ya're filthy and ya smell bad."

Duo snorted. "Oh? Why don't you go into Preventer Headquarters, yell out Director Une, take a long taxi ride to the shuttle port with all your stuff pack with you, fall asleep next to a couple of bratty kids who throw shuttle food around you while on the shuttle, _and_ walk the streets of L2 for a few hours? I bet you won't come out squeaky clean either."

"Fair enough. But still, go take a shower Kid."

"And what about you? Lil' ol' filthy me has been lying on you for the past few hours. Shouldn't you take one also?"

"I gots a routine ta do 'fore breakfast. I'll clean up aftah you."

"Fine, fine," Duo grumbled as he stood up. Making his way to the stairs, he paused and turned around sheepishly. "Um, Solo?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Second floor, first door on ya right."

"Thanks."

Duo turned around to go up the stairs but stopped again.

"Now what?"

"I haven't unpacked yet and I don't think any of the stuff I brought with me is clean yet…"

"'cuse me?"

"I kinda packed everything at the last minute…"

"I see. Guess I'll have ta lend ya some of me own stuff fer now."

Solo escorted him up the stairs, separating only to go into his own bedroom and take out a pair of loose sweats and a loose T-shirt. Once at the bathroom, Solo headed back down stairs as Duo closed the door and locked it. Setting the clothes on the counter, Duo inspected the bathroom, finding towels in a cabinet next to the toilet. Thinking he ought to take care of all his business, he sat on the porcelain throne and to take care of _that_ business first, lamenting the fact that he hadn't brought any good reading material with him. Once he was finished with that, he flushed and turned on the shower, taking his clothes off as he waited for the water to warm up.

Stepping into the spray and pulling the curtain close, Duo surrendered himself to the feel of water hitting his body. The shower head had to be special. Whenever he turned his back to the spray, he could have sworn he was getting massaged. Taking out, and noticing the quality of, the shampoo, Duo lathered his long hair up, getting the grime of the previous day out along with any oil building. He took his time massaging the shampoo into his scalp before putting his head under to rinse.

Next, he turned his attention to the conditioner, which was also of good quality. He took his time with that as well before washing it out and focusing on washing the rest of his body. Even after he had soaped up and rinsed, he remained in the shower for several minutes longer before reluctantly turning the water off. Pulling the shower curtain aside, He first wrapped a towel around his head and used another to dry off the rest of his body. Once that was accomplished, He closed the toilet and sat on it as he began to dry his hair.

It was at this point that he began to let his mind wander. The first subject was the shampoo and conditioner that he had used. He rationalized that Solo took care of his long hair and if he remembered correctly, Solo was prideful about his hair. That was the main reason Duo grew his own out. At first to emulate his idol and then to remember him by. He didn't do or have to do either of those now but he had been doing it so long that cutting it now would be really, really awkward.

His hair dried to satisfaction, he braided it and tied it up. He put on the clothes that Solo had so generously lent him. He checked himself in the mirror one last time before he started to leave. Then he froze. What the hell did he just do? Did he just…adjust himself in the mirror…like a chick would do before going out on a date?

No fucking way.

What the hell was wrong with him? This was _Solo_ for Christ's sake! This was the guy who was like his older brother when he was a kid! Besides, Solo didn't swing that way…or did he? He wouldn't mind if he did…

Duo almost slammed his head into the wall. Bad thoughts! Bad! Get your head out of the gutter Duo. Solo is just a friend! Just a friend.

Taking in a few deep breaths, Duo exited the bathroom and headed downstairs. Midway down the stairs, he paused. Was it just him or did he hear music playing? Calling on the stealth he had been forced to learn as a kid and later employed as a Gundam pilot, Duo tiptoed down the rest of the stairs. Pausing at the bottom, Duo did his best to locate the source of the music. It didn't take him long to pinpoint it coming from a slightly open door to the right.

He stealthily made his way to the door and pushed it slightly open to get a better peak of what was going on in there. What he saw made his heart stop beating for a few seconds and his face to heat up.

In front of him was a gorgeous sight.

The room was large and filled with exercise equipment of all sorts. In the middle of it all was Solo. The young man was busy hitting a punching bag but that was not what froze Duo up. It was the fact that Solo had taken off his shirt, revealing a well-built body that dripped with sweat. Duo swallowed silently as he watched the young man's muscles move underneath the pale, sweaty skin, how each muscle would contact then expand with every movement.

Then Duo's problem got worse.

He felt his sweatpants forming a tent down below and he felt the sensation of his stomach tightening. Slowly and silently, Duo moved away, heading back up the stairs where he locked himself up in the bathroom again.

No fucking way.

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening! There was no way he could be interested in Solo, especially in _that_ way. However, his body was hell-bent on proving him wrong. He throbbed down there and he needed to relieve himself.

Lifting the toilet seat up, Duo stroked himself, squeezing and jerking until he released, his fluids going down into the porcelain bowel. Sweat dripping down his forehead, Duo slid down against the bathroom wall. He propped his elbows on his knees and planted his face into his hands.

This shouldn't be happening, he couldn't like Solo in a more intimate fashion. It was like a crime against nature or something. But it was happening. The image of a half naked Solo was burned into his mind and it had been what he was focusing on when he had relieved himself.

There was no way any good could come out of this.

None at all.


	7. Breakfast

Author's Note: This chapter is a little shorter than the last one. Also, I'll be starting classes soon so I won't be updating as often. I'll try to update once a week if not once every two weeks. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Sappiness, if you can call it that, plus more of Solo's horrible grammar!

Breakfast

When Duo finally regrouped and left the bathroom, something had changed. Instead of hearing music, it was replaced by the smell of cooking food.

His stomach finally caught up with him, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything decent since the shuttle ride. He hadn't attempt to try the sorry excuse for food and the shock of seeing Solo again had diverted his attention away from his bodily needs.

And now his stomach was attacking him with a vengeance. God, this sucked. The now-constant growling complained in his ears and he knew that he had no other choice but to bow to its whim. He could only hope whoever was cooking was decent. At this point, he'd even consider eating the shuttle food.

The expression "follow your nose" rang in his head as he literally did just that. Down the stairs he went following the siren smell until he found its source. He froze in the entrance and mentally screamed.

Standing in front of a commercial stove stood Solo, still shirtless, scrambling eggs in a pan with ease. Bacon sat on a plate knew the stove all fried and toast just popped out of a toaster. Despite all the sounds and smells around him, Duo's attention was focused only at the person at the center of it all. His body was slowly starting to arouse again. This could not be good.

Gaining control of himself again, Duo made his way over to a small table where he found a newspaper, a jar of jelly, two plates, forks, and two glasses of orange juice. Glancing at the paper, Duo took a swig of his juice, hoping that the sensation of the cool liquid would distract him from other things.

Glancing back up, that hope was crushed as he noticed Solo striding over to him, pan of scrambled eggs in hand. The next thing he knew his plate was half-filled with a mound of scrambled eggs and a plate of bacon set right into the middle of the table.

"Eat up, Kid. Dis is only one of da few dings I can make right."

Jerked back into reality, Duo plunged into the food, focusing only on fulfilling his duty to his stomach, careful to not glance at his half-naked friend.

Solo ate and watched Duo with an indulgent smile. The way the kid was eating, you'd expect him to be starving. That thought sobered him up. Of course the kid knew what starving was like; he had starved before.

'_But he won't anymore'_ Solo thought to himself. He'd take care of the kid again, just like old times.

He heard Duo snort. Now what was that for?

"What?" he asked.

"You got on me for not being clean but here you are eating breakfast, covered in sweat. Don't you think you're being a hypocrite?"

Solo chuckled. "I eat breakfast like dis every day. Part of me routine. Get used ta it."

"But why are you sweaty? I don't think slaving over a hot stove is gonna make you break a sweat."

"Part of me routine is exercisin'," Solo explained, the corners of his mouth moving upwards. "Ya 'member when I told ya I had trouble movin'? Dis is how I can move better. I got in da habit an' I haven't really stopped. 'sides, anything can happen. I could wind back up on da streets again and it be in me best interest to stay in shape."

"There's no way you can end up back there! Solo, you're at the top!"

"Anyding can happen, Kid," Solo replied.

"Don't say that!" Duo shouted. Duo's face was an emotional wreck at this point. He wasn't even aware that his eyes were tearing up. The mantra "Boys don't cry" repeated itself over and over again in his mind.

Solo saw the turmoil on his friend's face. He knew what was on the Kid's mind. He took pity and stood up, the legs of his chair scrapping on the tiled floor. He walked over to Duo and placed his hands on either side of the younger's face, cupping it, using his thumbs to wipe away and water that had managed to leave Duo's eyes. He placed a light kiss on Duo's forehead before pulling back slightly to look Duo straight in the eyes, dead serious.

"Kid, Duo, I'm wit you right here an' right now. I don't plan on ever leavin' ya side ever again. Come wat may, not even Death itself will separate us again. I promise an' guaran-fuckin'-tee it."

"You know you can't promise something like that," Duo whispered.

"An' I'm doin' it anyway," Solo retorted. "Look Kid, we can take betta care of usselves now than we was able ta before. Dare's no doubt in me mind that you got some cash lyin' in some account somewhere ta use in emergencies. We gonna be okay Duo. Ya got dat? Don't make me have ta pound it in ta ya head."

At this, Duo snorted. "Nuh uh! You can't pound anything into _my_ head, Solo."

"'Cause it too thick?"

"No. 'Cause I'm too good to let you do that. In fact, you wouldn't be able to lay a finger on me."

"Is dat a challenge?" Solo taunted, grinning.

"You bet your ass it is."


	8. Position

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. It took me a while but thanks to one ShadowMajin, I was able to really do something with this chapter. This one goes out to you SM. Thus far, this is my longest chapter to date. It wasn't easy but then again, what good things are easy to do/make? Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Duo making Solo look bad, suggestive positions, even more sappiness, and, of course, bad grammar.

Position

The two entered Solo's exercise room, the elder leading them to some mats laid out in the corner. Duo began to perform a few stretches to loosen his muscles up as he watched Solo begin to unhook the punching bag that hung in the middle of what was to be their arena.

With the bag removed, Solo began his own stretches to limber up and Duo paused to see the muscles underneath the pale skin moving. Duo's face heated up a bit at the display and he sought to divert his attention. It was only now that his sharp eyes were able to spot out a few almost invisible scars on the pale skin. If his memory served him, he knew where some of those scars came from. They were all products of living on the streets of L2. Of course, Duo noticed a few additions to Solo's collection that he didn't recall seeing before. Most likely got them after they had split up.

Duo removed his shirt to ensure that nothing obstructed his movements even marginally. Taking in a few deep breaths, he calmed and centered himself, waiting for Solo to finish preparing. Though it wasn't obvious, Duo caught glimpses of stiff movement. He didn't allow his face to register anything and instead concentrated on the person before him.

"Ya ready Kid?" Solo asked as he finished stretching, a smirk on his face.

"Are you?" Duo countered.

"Betcha ass I am. Ready ta get pounded?" Solo taunted as he fell into a fighting form.

"We'll see who gets pounded," Duo replied, falling into his own form.

Solo began with a quick right jab to Duo's head, followed by a haymaker with his left. Duo did a simple parry of the jab and ducked the haymaker easily. Solo launched into a barrage of punches in which Duo blocked or dodged easily, a wide grin on his face. After throwing a jab to the face that didn't hit its target, Solo tried a knee which Duo leapt back from continuing his defense.

Duo could easily see the frustration on Solo's face. Duo didn't have the heart to tell Solo that he could easily read what his next move would be. Plus, he knew of the style of street fighting that Solo used, which was nowhere near the skill Duo had added with the combination of a Gundam pilot's training and the quick reflexes of a thief.

Deciding to piss his friend off even more, Duo decided to land a few blows. Of course, he would hold back as much as possible as he didn't want to hurt Solo too badly if at all. Duo landed a few quick jabs on Solo's ribs and danced away from any counterattack that Solo might have been able to use. He could see the surprise on Solo's face and he smirked. Solo growled as he began circling Duo like a predator about to pounce on its prey. Duo caught sight of the sudden stiff and jerky movements that Solo's body made and he stored the information away in his head.

When Solo finally lunged at him, Duo could tell he was switching tactics, attempting to grapple. Duo leaned his body backwards and planted a foot in Solo's gut. Continuing leaning backwards, Duo's back touched the ground and he used whatever momentum Solo still had left to throw the elder in the air. Duo was back on his feet and ready for the next attack, regulating air by breathing through his nose. Solo was getting up, still covering from his landing. Sweat dripped down his body and Solo took in gulps of air. In would be long before this was all over, Duo thought to himself and waited for Solo to come at him again.

---

"Dis ain't right."

"Ha ha!"

"No, seriously. Dis is like against nature or somedin'."

"Hey! I won fair and square, no ifs, ands, or buts!"

"Lame, Kid, lame."

"You're just jealous."

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"Would ya stop pokin' me wit dat ding!"

"What? I'm hurt. I thought you _liked_ it."

"Kid, I'm warnin' ya…"

"Oh, I'm _so_ scared!"

"Would ya get off me!?"

"Nope! I'm just getting comfortable."

"Kid," Solo sighed, "wat would we do if somebody caught us like dis?"

"Tell them the truth!"

"No way in hell."

"Oh c'mon! You're just mad I beat you."

Solo planted his face into the mat and sighed. Duo was right, he was embarrassed. Why? After challenging one another, they had had a spar. Solo, being the bigger of the two had thought he would have an advantage over the Kid. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Duo's training as a Gundam pilot had come with a vengeance and he had wrestled Solo into the ground thus bringing everything to its present situation.

Currently, Solo was on his stomach, arms pinned behind his back. Duo straddled his hips, a large grin on his face. He easily held Solo's hands with one hand and used the pointer finger on his free hand to poke Solo anywhere on his body.

Normally, this position wouldn't have had anything else to it. It was the fact that both young men had taken their shirts off and from a certain angle, it looked as if Duo was about to do something naughty to Solo's…yeah…

Pausing in his annoying of Solo, Duo took a look at Solo's back. He had to admit, all the exercises Solo had done had done wonders to his body. He remembered feeling himself heating up when Solo had first began stretching and he couldn't figure out why that had happened. However, he did recall from time to time seeing Solo move stiffly for no particular reason. He recalled that Solo had mentioned earlier that he hadn't received the cure in time to be perfectly normal. It would explain the sudden stiff movements.

"Hey Kid? Ya mind gettin' off me now?"

That brought Duo back out of his reverie. Grinning wickedly, Duo replied, "Nope! Too comfy now. I think I'll take a little nap now. I'll talk to you when I get up." Duo laid himself down on his captive, still pinning both hands with his one hand. Solo groaned in protest and began to squirm.

"Stop that now. I was almost asleep!"

Duo had to admit, he was comfortable. For some reason, Solo's back made for a good pillow. He could feel the muscles straining beneath the skin as Solo attempted to regain his freedom.

"Kid, I'm warnin' ya one last time. Get. Off. Of. ME!"

Duo snorted.

The next couple minutes were a fury of activity that ended up with Duo still straddling his friend. Solo, however, was on his back now, and his hands were now pinned above his head by only one hand still. For that alone he could have wept in humiliation but pride and the phrase "Boys don't cry" prevented him from water leakage. Duo's face was now hovering over his. He could feel Duo's hot breath on his face. This did not bode well for him. There was going to be a problem if this continued.

"Ya gonna make a move, Kid?" Solo asked slyly. "Or am I gonna have ta?'"

Duo's face frowned for a moment before turning red. The younger leapt off the older in an instant. Solo began laughing out loud, finding the reaction hilarious though feeling disappointment within.

"Ha ha ha, just laugh it up," Duo grumbled, face still red from embarrassment.

Grinning indulgently, Solo got back up to his feet and made his way over to Duo. He embraced the other in a bear hug, squeezing as tightly as he could, burying his face into Duo's neck. He ignored the squeak of surprise he received.

"Eh, Solo? What are you doing?"

Taking in a deep breath, smelling Duo's hair in the process, he replied, "Just makin' sure dis is real."

"D-did you just…smell me?" Duo stuttered

"No. I was smellin' me shampoo. Good choice, Kid. Knew ya 'ad it in ya."

Duo's blush just increased tenfold. _Oh man, he did NOT just say that! Wait, it's not a big deal, just got to play this off. Be cool, Maxwell._

"I'm glad you like the smell," Duo muttered. He felt more than heard Solo snort. The taller young man's shoulders were slightly shaking with suppressed laughter. Solo just tightened his embrace.

Now Duo didn't have too much of a problem with this. However, Solo's hold was starting to squeeze the air out of his body. But the warmth he felt from Solo's body was just so…intoxicating and the skin-to-skin contact…

_Head out of the gutter Maxwell! Remember, having a blue face is a bad thing. A very bad thing!_

"Solo…need air…"

"Sorry," Solo murmured. He lessened the pressure, allowing Duo to take in much more needed air. Of course, the fact remained that Solo was still holding onto Duo. Despite strangely enjoying this, Duo began to get uncomfortable.

'Uh, Solo? You can let go now."

Because his face was next to Duo's hair, the ex-pilot was unable to see the flash of disappointment. The blond reluctantly released his captive but he kept his hand on Duo's shoulder nonetheless. Duo swallowed and began to speak again.

"You know I'm not going anywhere, right Solo? It's going to take a lot to get rid of me. A plague didn't kill me. A massacre didn't kill me. _Two_ wars didn't kill me. And sitting around waiting to die of boredom in a Preventer office didn't kill me. You're going to be stuck with me for a long time Solo. You got me?"

Solo nodded his head once. "Yeah, I got ya."

"Good." Duo smiled up at the blond. "You know, I could really use a nap. Do you have any spare bedrooms?"

"Of course I do," Solo scoffed. "Follow me, ya little brat. I'll lead ya ta ya cradle."

"Cradle?!" Duo gave a look of mock indignation but followed after Solo. "Look Solo, I hate to break it to you but I outgrew the cradle a few days ago. I think I'm old enough for the big boy bed."

"Course ya are," Solo snorted. "Ya look like a big boy, I'll give ya dat but do ya act like one?'

"You're being mean!" Duo complained.

---

Solo locked the door to his study and strode over to his desk.

Once he sat down in his large, comfy, revolving chair, He started thinking.

He recalled the fact that Duo tried avoiding looking at him during breakfast, which was a bit odd. Of course, that changed once they got deep into conversation. Then there was the aftermath of their spar. Duo had refused to get off him and he ended up resorting to drastic measures to get him off. But did he really want Duo off of him in the first place? Well, having his hands pinned was a little kinky…

Solo grinned like a fool to himself. He enjoyed the feeling of having Duo up against him. There was when he first woke up that morning with Duo still lying on top of him. Then there was the spar, but was he looking too much into something that had an entirely different meaning? At last, there was the hug. Solo noticed that he was the only one actually doing the hugging but could it be that his hug had pinned Duo's arms against his body? Hopefully so which could describe why Duo hadn't returned the hug.

Oh yes, Duo was quite the looker. Time had really been good to him. Now, all Solo wanted to do was grab hold of his younger friend and never let go. It was just an irresistible urge that would have been a crime against nature if ignored, so Solo felt.

But what did Duo feel? Was the Kid like…that? Despite keeping an eye on Duo for the past few years, Solo didn't know everything about the braided one. He only knew about the public life that Duo lived, which had rapidly diminished after the war. He did not know anything of the other's preferences, whether he had any preferences or none at all. Oh, he wanted to keep Duo happy, even if it meant living the life of an asexual. At least they'd still be friends.

But why not do anything? At the very least he should try experimenting. Test Duo out a little, flirt a bit and see what happens. Best case scenario…something to look forward to. Worst case scenario…nothing would happen except making Duo a little flustered.

Solo smirked. He could play it off as a practical joke if the worst case scenario was to happen. Duo of all people knew that laughter was the spice of life and that it could temporarily brighten up a dark situation no matter how bleak. Sure Duo would try to salvage his pride and plan a reprisal to build his battered dignity back up and Solo didn't expect any less.

As long as the Kid was happy, he would be happy.

That's all that mattered.


	9. Friendly

Author's Note: This one goes out to ShinyObsessed. Thanks for the advise. It really helped make this chapter. This one is dedicated to you, my friend. It may not seem like much now but it will get better in later chapters. For the rest of you, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Solo flirting, special playing, obscene language, and more bad grammar. Also, be on the lookout for a certain friendly ghost…

Friendly

The next morning, Solo began to contemplate his game plan. He needed to start out small then go for bigger and better things. However, he needed to be careful. Sneaking up gropes—er, touches—would be dangerous. Duo's pilot training would more than likely react to something like that and Solo did not want a broken arm.

But if he could get away with it…

Nah.

Alright so grop—grab—aw hell, groping was going to be out of the question…for now. So what did that leave him? Not much to play with…

Well, there was always the infamous lingering touch. How many times had he heard customers and other street scum go ballistic just because some skin-to-skin contact lasted a second longer than it should have? Far too many times to count.

What else? Footsy? Maybe. Definitely stay in the Kid's personal space. Staring? Maybe, maybe not, as long as it didn't make Duo paranoid.

He'd needed to think more on this but perhaps he could just make some stuff up as he went along. Anyway, it was almost time to get up. Had a routine to do before breakfast. No way in hell was he about to break that…

Unless some positive changes in the bedroom occurred…

---

Ah yes. Perfect.

The smell of freshly made waffles wafted throughout the kitchen. There was nothing Solo loved more than fresh waffles in the morning. Okay, juice is in the cups, butter, syrup, and jam set up on the table, dishes and silverware set…

Alright, 3, 2, 1…

"What is that heavenly smell?"

Solo smiled to himself. Right on time. At least some things hadn't changed. Duo was so predictable. Make some food and the aroma alone would attract him like a mutt to a bitch in heat.

"Dat, Kid, would be me World Famous Waffles. If dis don't kill ya from taste alone, den ya just immortal or somedin'."

"Aren't we a little proud in our cooking this morning, hm? Let's see if these rocks are any good."

"Kid, don't insult me waffles. Dare is nothin' preventin' me from takin' dat dare butter knife an' stabbin' ya in da jugular wit it."

"Sheesh, somebody is overprotective of their waffles."

"Shut up an' eat, Kid."

Watching Duo intently as the younger sat down and started preparing the waffles on his plate, Solo waited for the response Duo would make upon first bite.

He wasn't disappointed.

"Oh God! What the hell did you put in these?! They're fucking awesome!"

Solo smirked at the praise. "Dot ya might like dem. Now dat ya 'ad dem, don't make fun of dem again or I will make good on da butter knife."

"Hell, if _I_ make fun of them again, I'll do that myself. Man, none of the guys have anything on this!"

Eating his own breakfast, Solo decided it was time to put his plan into action. Thinking about what he should do first, he decided to throw all caution to the wind and just go with it. Hell, he might even surprise himself.

With his bare, right foot, he reached the appendage underneath the table to make contact with Duo's own bare foot. He made contact. Ooh, Duo's feet were cold! Perhaps he could warm them up a little. Wait…

Solo smirked at Duo's frozen features. The moment his foot had touched Duo's, the ex-pilot had frozen altogether. Solo withdrew his foot and waited for Duo to speak.

"Um, Solo? Was that your…?"

"Me wat?"

"Your…thing…whatever it was. Did that belong to you?"

"Don't know wat ya talkin' about."

"Well, it's gone now and it moved…"

"Probably a rat."

Duo frowned. A rat? But he hadn't seen a single rodent since he got here…

There it was again! He felt something clammy on his bare foot. No way in hell was that a rat. Where was the fur? The nails? The poking nose?

"Solo? Is that you again?"

"Hm? Wat dat?"

"Is that your foot on mine?"

"Maybe it be ya own."

Duo frowned again and moved his other foot. No, that one was nowhere close enough to be on his other one. Wait a minute…was it caressing? Moving to duck under the table, he saw nothing on his foot and Solo's bare feet were on the other side of the table.

The moment Duo began to move, Solo had withdrew his wondering foot back. He was enjoying this all right. When Duo's head resurfaced with a puzzled facial expression, he took almost everything he had not to laugh.

"I could have sworn something was touching my foot."

"Maybe it was a ghost?"

"A ghost? You mean like Casper?"

"Ya dink he was called da friendly ghost fer nothin'?"

Duo's expression was enough to send Solo into bursting laughter. Just looking back at that look caused another burst of laughter to begin. Forcing himself to look the other way, Solo managed to calm himself. He turned back, making sure not to look at Duo's face, no matter how much he wanted to do so.

"Hey, Kid? Can ya tell me wat it felt like?"

"I guess it was cold…a little clammy."

"Ya guess? Did it feel anydin' like dis?" Stretching his leg again, his foot made contact with Duo's again. Duo simply nodded and Solo let out a mock breath of relief. "So dat's wat dat was." With his plate cleaned, Solo stood up to take care of his used plate and utensils. Duo remained seated, frozen like a statue. Smirking to himself, Solo entered the living room.

---

Duo didn't know how long it was before he regained sense of himself. Had…had Solo been playing…_footsy_ with him?! No way. That was impossible. Why the hell would Solo do that? He was half tempted to believe the friendly ghost bit but had to remind himself that ghosts didn't exist, much less overly friendly ones.

Okay, if it was Solo, not that it was Solo, why did he do it, not that he actually would do it. Was Solo…_interested_? Uh uh, nope. No, no, he was hallucinating. Solo was just…making fun of him, that was it! Well, two could play at that game. Oh yes, dear Solo was about to meet with the grand prankster of pranksters! He would have his revenge!

Clearing up the table, Duo's mind began going over all the possible pranks he could do for his vengeance. He had a couple dozen in mind but his injured pride demanded immediate reprisal and who was he to say no to that? First, he'd have to see what Solo was up to in order to determine what form his wrath would take.

Sneaking to the living room, he found his quarry. Solo was laying stretched out on the couch, reading a book. His hand, from Duo's line of sight, was just over the crotch area…and it was moving…

Duo's face flushed crimson, all thoughts of revenge vanishing from his mind. All the ex-pilot could think of was _Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God!_ Hoping to save his fragile little mind from anymore exposure, he started up the stairs as quietly as possible, moving as fast as he could go without making a noise under the circumstances.

---

Solo had been waiting for Duo to come out for some time before he got up to retrieve a book from his study. He was just getting comfy when Duo finally emerged and he noticed from the corner of his eye that Duo stopped dead still.

Why had he done that? Was something wrong? Looking around without being obtrusive, he noticed where his hand was presently located. Now what was Duo thinking? All he was doing was scratching an itch down there. What, it was itchy!

Then again, what did it look like from Duo's point of view? Probably something different and less innocent. He waited until Duo had hightailed it up the stairs before huffing. Wait to go, Solo, you scared him off! Great job.

Wait a minute. Perhaps this held some promise. Perhaps he could…display himself in such a manner in which Duo would want to do nothing more than jump him? Poses, eh? This might not be such a bad thing after all.

But first, he needed to entertain himself in a different way now. Well, he and his hand were best friends, weren't they? All he needed to do was go back to the study, find his secret stash, hide out in the bathroom and lock the door, and let the good times roll. Yeah, it had been sometime since the last time. Why not? It wasn't as if he had anything else better to do.

Except, of course, flustering the Kid…

But he could do that anytime so it was all good.


	10. Briefing

Author's Note: It's time for a change of scenery. If you thought this was going to be all about Duo and Solo, well, there is other stuff that can also be explored that doesn't involved the two directly. This chapter is such and it gets back to a more serious demeanor. As a warning, there are a few more chapters similar to this one so this is not a one time deal. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: A little swearing and certain oblivious people.

Briefing

Another day, another mission. That what it was to Wufei Chang on this particular day. Nataku, sometimes he wished that the populace of the Earth and Colonies would take care of themselves. Nataku knew that he and the other pilots would be here forever. When they ultimately died, who would take up the fight and protect humanity from the wars that plagued it so?

Stifling a sigh, Wufei refocused back to the matter at hand. Currently, he, Yuy, and Barton were in a briefing room. It was in this miscellaneous room where the Gundam pilots, minus Winner, received and assigned missions to one another. The only other person present was Director Une who observed the proceedings and giving recommendations to the pilots for each mission. Each mission varied and all of them there judged who would qualify best for which mission. Lately, it seemed as if things were quieting down, a lull in the otherwise hectic life of a Preventer and ex-Gundam pilot.

'Next is mission M2-1097," Yuy intoned, picking up another manila folder. Wufei listened halfheartedly once he learned of the main objectives of this particular mission. It was a stealth and infiltration mission, gathering information only. Stealth was the main objective, meaning the assigned pilot would have to go in and out undetected, getting as much information on a suspicious area. Stealth was not Wufei's forte, so he knew he wasn't going to be involved with it.

As soon as Yuy finished, they all looked up at Une for her council. Strangely enough, the woman had a creased brow, as if she was thinking very hard on what to say. This was odd because Une always spoke immediately once the mission statement was finished. A few minutes passed uneasily before Une began to speak.

"I believe that Agent Barton would be best suited for M2-1097. His experience in infiltration would be best suited for this."

Barton raised an eyebrow (that could be seen) and Yuy simply blinked. "Permission to speak, Director Une," Yuy's monotone voiced.

Une sighed. Ever since Heero Yuy had joined the Preventers, he had begun acting as if he was in the military. Always asking to speak was only the tip of the iceberg.

"Permission granted, Yuy. You can always speak, Heero, when you need to. You don't need to keep asking such questions."

Yuy simply nodded. "I suggest that we give M2-1097 to 02 instead of 03. 02 specializes in stealth and would be more suited for this."

It sounded reasonable. Wufei was always curious as to how someone as loud as Maxwell was, be able to sneak up on anybody, including himself. Hell, Maxwell had once, during the wars, snuck up quietly on both Yuy and Barton at the same time! None of them had been able to figure out how he had managed to do that when both Yuy and Barton's sense of hearing was above average. None had been able to emulate how Maxwell did it either.

"I'm afraid that that is not possible at this time," Une replied.

"Why is that?" Barton asked, his tone giving away nothing of what he thought.

"Yes, why can't 02 take this mission?" Yuy asked.

"He is unavailable," Une answered, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Is he on a mission?" Yuy continued.

"No, he is not."

"Then what's his excuse this time?" Wufei demanded. Honestly, how had someone like Maxwell become a Gundam pilot in the first place?

Une gave them all a funny look as they awaited her answer. Sighing, she spoke, "As of three weeks ago, Duo Maxwell is no longer a Preventer. He handed in his resignation forms along with a request to keep his whereabouts remain unknown. He has only contacted me once since his resignation to give me the address of his new living quarters. He once again requested that no one else know of this new address."

The three ex-pilots stared at Une.

"What do you mean he resigned?!" Wufei demanded, rage boiling inside of him. "Does that braided fool think that the work is too hard or something? Get his ass back in here, now!"

"I can't do that Chang. Maxwell is a civilian now. According to the law, I can't do anything to force or coerce him back into the Preventers."

"The fact remains that we need 02 for this. Barton already has a few missions lined up. He can't take anymore without jeopardizing his health and his life."

"I understand, but there is nothing I can do."

"Then tell us where to find him," Wufei snarled. "We'll get him back, even if we have to drag him back screaming like a woman."

Une's sharp glare stopped him from continuing.

"What were his reasons for resigning?" Barton asked. Though he kept his expression neutral, the tenseness of his body revealed that he was troubled by this.

"His reasons were that he was being underutilized. He claimed that for the past three years he had received no work, no missions, or anything constructive."

Wufei snorted. Underutilized? Who did Maxwell think he was?

"I looked into his allegations afterwards, to see if his claims were accurate," Une continued. "His claims were indeed on the mark. There were no missions assigned to him nor was he given any form of paperwork to fill out. For the past three years, he's done nothing but check in and out of the office and sit at his desk with nothing to do. In all that time, only a few employees had seen what Maxwell's office looked liked. I can count the amount on one hand. Their stories were all the same. The walls were barren, his desk empty. The only forms filled out by Maxwell were the paperwork he needed to fill out when he first signed on to the Preventers and the resignation form. I was about to give him his first assignment when he cursed me out and left the building. None of it was flattering and I have to admit that I don't want to be in that position again."

The others just stared at her again. Yuy frowned before he spoke. "Would you mind if I investigated 02's claims?"

"Go right ahead, Yuy. As for M2-1097, my recommendation stills stands."

"Where is Maxwell?" Wufei demanded again.

Une sighed again. "I thought we went over this already. If you want to find him, ask yourself this: where would be the first place he would go?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"The only clue I can give you without breaking confidentiality. As for the question, it only requires what you know of Duo Maxwell."

Wufei raked his mind to see what he could come up with. It was only then that he realized that he knew nothing. He knew nothing about Maxwell's past and from the looks of Barton and Yuy, both were drawing up the same conclusion.

Duo Maxwell was the loudest and most optimistic of the pilots and yet he was also the most mysterious. Who was Duo Maxwell anyway? After all this time they had finally realized they knew nothing of pilot 02.

Nothing at all.


	11. Speech

Author's Note: Here's a gift for Labor Day. I don't know about you, but Solo's horrible grammar has finally got to me. Believe it or not, I've had this chapter planned a long time ago. However, I did add something else not a part of it but I think you'll…enjoy it. So, to all my devoted fans that have kept up with me thus far, I thank you for sticking with me this far and this one's for you. Now if you don't like it…go somewhere else and leave me alone. If you do like it, stay and make yourself comfortable. Otherwise…enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Some bad grammar and a tiny bit of shounen ai.

Speech

"Alright, Solo. We're going to do this one more time."

"Sure ding."

"No, it's _thing_, not ding."

"Ding."

"No Solo, you got to do the 'th' sound, okay? Th. Put the tip of your tongue on the bottom of your front teeth…yeah like that…now buzz in your throat…yes like that…now…th."

"The…"

"Close, Solo, close. Try it again."

Duo closed his eyes as he listened to Solo sound out the sound again. He had been there only a week before he had insisted on teaching Solo how to speak "properly." Solo hadn't liked that so Duo rephrased it to speak "better." Only then did Solo agree. Odd little quirk…it was the same meaning just a different word. Well, Solo wasn't a genius when it came to linguistics and phonetics (1). Then again, neither was Duo.

Currently, Duo marked today as the ending of the first month when he had returned to L2 and reunited with his best friend. He had to admit, thus far it had been the best month of his life since the wars had ended.

Back to the speech lessons, Solo wasn't advancing too much but he had made some progress. Instead of saying "ta," he said "to" or anything else "ta" could go with. "Ya was now "you," "your," and any other form of "you." Lastly, but not least, he was able to get Solo to say the ending "ing" completely, with the g at the end instead of the in'.

What could he say, he was a miracle worker.

However, for the past few days, they had been stuck on "th." If Solo could manage to pronounce that one little sound, then a lot more people (who were not from L2) would be able to understand him. It was a noble project, as far as Duo was concerned.

"Ta…tha…"

"C'mon Solo. Th. Say it with me now! Th. Th."

Solo's face screwed up as he attempted again, getting close but no cigar.

Duo sighed before asking, "Solo, what are you doing with you're tongue?"

"I'm doing just wat you're tellin' me."

"Tell_ing_."

"Tellin'. Telling. Telling."

"That's right, now show me what you're doing with…what the hell are you doing?"

At this point, Solo was flicking his tongue out of his mouth suggestively, tentatively licking his lips little by little. Duo could have dismissed this as Solo just wetting his lips but there was something in Solo's eyes that suggested…otherwise. He had begun noticing Solo doing odd things lately. For one, he was displaying his body more often, bending down slowly as if he wanted Duo to look at his ass, even stretching and flexing himself into suggestive positions when he was just in Duo's peripheral vision. Then there were the lingering touches. Oh God, why the hell were they lingering? Did Solo want him to interpret those as something else? Of course, he couldn't forget that footsy incident. Friendly ghost his ass! No, it had repeated itself a few more times and never when he expected it. And it always ended up with Solo saying "so dat's wat dat was," and walking away. He still hadn't gotten his revenge for that first time. Always afterwards, he would find Solo in a provocative position. And to add onto that, those positions were causing a problem down below more often.

Duo knew something was up. Why was Solo looking at him like that? If it had been anyone else, he would be nervous at this point.

"Hey, Duo. Could you give me motivation?" Solo asked, his green eyes darkening slightly.

"Motivation?" Duo frowned. Why was Solo asking for motivation now? What _kind_ of motivation was he—

_No Duo! Bad Duo! Don't you dare start thinking those thoughts!_

"Yeah," Solo continued. "Wat would you give me if I was—"

"Were."

"Danks. Anyway, Wat would you do if were to get dis right?"

"I don't know," Duo answered, suspicious. "What do you want?"

"Hmmm." Solo put on a thinking expression, as if he was considering what to choose as his "motivation."

"I know!" Solo said suddenly, snapping his fingers. "How's bout you give me a kiss if I get dat sound right?"

"A…kiss?" Duo stared at Solo, stunned. Never in his wildest imagination would he have been able to think that Solo would ask for a kiss as a reward. Did he want a kiss from a woman? Wait a minute, he said for him, Duo, to give him, Solo, a kiss. What was he playing? "What kind of kiss?"

"Solo smirked mischievously. "A full on da lips. Yours on mine."

Duo's eyes widened to the point they looked like teacup saucers. "You want a kiss…from me?" he squeaked.

"Yep."

Duo gulped loudly and began to think about this. Wait a minute. He was actually considering this? Oh no. No fucking way. He couldn't! It was _Solo_ for Christ's sake! Solo, the childhood mentor that was like a brother to him. Solo, now a rich hotel owner, who had generously taken him in and gave him a place to stay when it seemed as if the world didn't want him anymore.

"Are you sure?" he asked while trying to gain some time to straighten out his thoughts.

"Positive." Solo was looking at him straight in the eye, his face a mask of seriousness.

Duo nodded but added on to the plan. "Alright, just one more thing. The offer is on the table for the rest of the day. Come midnight and you haven't been able to get it right, then no kiss for you. Deal?"

"Deal," Solo stated, giving Duo a hearty handshake to seal the deal.

For the rest of the day, Solo refused to give up. Even as the dimming of the colony's light signaled "evening," Solo was still at it. Duo had to wonder; was a kiss really that important to Solo?

"Tha…the…tha…th…"

"Stop," Duo commanded. "Say that last one one more time."

"Th?"

Duo groaned. Figures.

"Wat? I get it right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Duo grumbled.

Solo grinned like he was a kid in a candy store. "Th! Th! Th!" he repeated, each time the sound getting clearer and better.

"Okay, okay. Now use it in a word."

"A word? Like wat?"

"You know, like the, that, thing, something like that?"

"Dat?"

Oh c'mon Solo. You were so close!" Duo grinned to himself, forgetting about their deal.

Solo simply smirked and began with, "Da…th…the…that…thing…"

Duo's mouth fell open and he gaped. Solo gave him a predatory look as he advanced on the ex-pilot.

"I do believe you owe me some…_thing_," Solo purred.

Duo looked up at Solo, his mouth slowly closing. Solo leaned in, his warm breath gently hitting Duo. Solo simply stared into his eyes as if he was searching for something before closing in. Their lips ghosted over one another before they were sealed. Duo's eyes closed instinctively and he allowed himself to submit.

Solo's kiss lasted only for a few seconds before they were removed. Duo opened his eyes again and stared up at the blond like a lost puppy. Solo smiled gently down at him.

"It wasn't that bad, now was it?"

Duo blinked before coming back to himself. His face lit up, much to his shame. Solo cupped his cheek and smiled at him again before removing himself and leaving Duo. A few minutes passed before Duo lifted his hand up slowly and touched his lips. They were still tingling…

No… Oh no… This couldn't be happening. Surely…surely Solo did that just to tease him. It wasn't that he was bothered by the kiss, he had to admit it wasn't that bad. No, what really disturbed him was the fact that he _enjoyed_ it if not liked it. And it was the fact that it was _Solo_ who was responsible for this.

Duo groaned to himself in frustration as he put his face into his hands.

---

Solo sighed in satisfaction as he reclined into his study's chair. What he had just done…he couldn't have imagined how enjoyable that was. Duo was tastier than he thought. If he hadn't been holding himself back, he could have just lost control.

Oh, how much he wanted more. If only there was a way to allow him to touch the braided one more. His eyes drifted over one of the many books in the room and he had an idea. It was perfect. How could Duo resist such an offer? Getting up and removing the paperback book from the shelf, he opened it up and began skimming over the words within.

Oh yes. This would definitely work. All he had to do now was practice a bit and then…

* * *

(1) Linguistics is the study of language. Phonetics is how one pronounces a sound. If you can use phonetics, you can actually sound like you speak a foreign language naturally. It all involves the teeth, tongue, top, and bottom of the mouth. I leaned this all in my English 4 high school class. You do NOT want to know anything else about it. Trust me. 


	12. Absence

Author's Note: In the spirit of Labor Day and, hey, becuase it's all you guys, I decided to update early and give you all this. It may not be much but it'll have to do for now. I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to write and update in the near or distance future. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Return of the oblivious pilots.

Absence

The door opened easily, much to the surprise of those on the other side. One at a time, Heero, Trowa, and Wufei entered the apartment that once belonged to Duo Maxwell.

It was obvious at first sight that nobody had been living here. The three ex-pilots knew for a fact that Duo had not been here for a month or so. Thus, the furniture that Duo had left behind was covered in dust. All the rooms were dark, no light anywhere. Unperturbed, the three young men began to investigate the abode. According to what they knew, Duo had paid the last month's rent. This was the main reason that no one was now using the place. Duo had been secretive in his leaving so much so that nobody in the apartment complex had noticed his absence.

The three ex-pilots checked everywhere for any sort of clue to the whereabouts of their missing comrade. Despite leaving whatever quarters he had had during the war a huge mess, all three were surprised to find the place possessionless. All three had assumed that Duo had had a lot but to see this made them reconsider their opinions. Just because Duo usually left his quarters messy didn't mean he had a lot of things that were his own. Chances were they were seeing the same objects on the floor repetitively.

The sudden ringing of the vidphone caught their attention. Without a word, Trowa made his way over to the devise and answered it. To the banged one's surprise, the caller was none other than Quatre Winner.

The young blond looked confused for a few seconds though his smile didn't drop.

"Trowa? Is that you?"

"Yes," Trowa replied.

"And you're at Duo's right?"

"That is correct."

"Good! Is Duo around? I want to talk to him. I have these tickets to a baseball game! He mentioned them back during the war and I thought he'd liked it if I took him to a game. So can I talk with him?"

"I don't think that's possible, Quatre."

"Huh? Why?"

"Duo's not here. He's been gone for a month."

"Gone? But what about the Preventers? Is he on a mission?"

"No, Quatre, he isn't."

"Then where is he?"

"That's what we're trying to find out."

"Hold on a minute," Quatre said. "What's going on, Trowa? Why exactly isn't Duo there? Is he in trouble? Is something going on at the Preventer Headquarters?"

"Quatre, Duo resigned from the Preventers a month ago. Une told us he left Earth the very day he gave his resignation. He gave Une a means of communicating with him but he told her not to give anybody else the way."

"He resigned? But why? Didn't he have missions too?"

"About that," Trowa began, a little sheepish. "According to all the Preventer records, Duo was never given a mission in all his time there. He wasn't given any work whatsoever, his office was bare, as if no one had used it, and the only forms in the building with his name on it was the forms he used to join with and resign from the Preventers."

Quatre's eyes narrowed at this. Though he didn't show it, Trowa was a little bit nervous. "And why wasn't he being given anything to do, _Trowa_?"

It was that tone. Trowa recalled it from the time Quatre had been driven insane by the Zero system. "Well, I know _I_ thought he was being kept busy…"

"Did you ever check up on him?"

"Well, no…"

"Did you ever talk with him?"

"No…"

Things were starting to get a little hairy right now. Fortunately for Trowa, Heero took over the call. "Now is not the time for this, 04. We need to find 02 now."

"Heero? Don't tell me you ignored Duo too!"

"I admit I didn't give him any attention," Heero replied but before Quatre could comment, Heero continued. "However, I didn't notice you keeping contact with him either. This is just as much your fault as it is ours. We are trying to fix this and we're going to need your help as well."

Quate seemed to deflate, guilt showing on his face. Yes, he hadn't done anything with Duo either. The company was keeping him so busy that he didn't have time for anything else. It took weeks in order to shuffle his schedule around so he could attend the baseball game with Duo but it seemed as if they weren't going.

"What can I do?" Quatre asked.

"You can start by using your connections and try to find out any information on 02," Heero answered immediately. "Try and find out what you can about his past. Where does he come from? Does he have any family? And if you can, see if you can't get any information from Une or anybody else high up on the political ladder."

"Roger that," Quatre replied, hanging up.

Heero hung the receiver back up and resumed searching for any clues Duo may have left behind. Trowa remained at the vidphone, catching on to the blinking red light that stated that there were messages on the phone. Pushing on a button, the answering machine began to recite each message, along with the date and time the messages were left.

"_**Message one on Tuesday, August the 17th at 11:51 a.m.: Maxwell, please pick up. I need to talk to you about this. Don't go through with this. Your skills are still needed. Come back to office as soon as you can so we can discuss this. I understand your reasoning and frustration and I would like to fix this. I'm sorry. Please call back."**_

From the voice it was obviously Une. Since today was the 17th of September, that would make this unanswered message a month old. According to what Une said, Duo had resigned early in the morning so that meant that he probably hadn't returned back to the apartment.

Much to Trowa's surprise, there weren't any other messages on the machine. Didn't Duo know anybody else? Didn't he go out and hang around with friends? Had he had any sort of social life? Trowa frowned. This was definitely something to look into. Perhaps he had told someone else where he went. He made a mental note to look into this further.

Ultimately, they found nothing. No clues, no hints, no nothing. It was almost as if Duo had vanished the moment he left Preventer Headquarters. With Quatre looking into Duo's origins, perhaps they would be able to figure out where Duo would go to for refuge.

They would get to the bottom of this, no matter what.

* * *

I am on the look out for more fics involving Duo and Solo. Unfortunately, I have already gone through those on this site. If anybody finds any out somewhere on the internet, please send me a link or tell me how to find it. Otherwise, until next time. 


	13. Anniversary

Author's Note: Thus far, the story has gone through many fazes: drama, humor, friendship, and anything else that I haven't mentioned. Now, we get to the angst. Yes, I'm afraid there is a bit in this chapter. However, if you do not understand what's going on in this chapter, the next one will explain everything. And yes, I have to leave you on your toes guessing. Anyway, thanks, Lady Cinnibar, for the info on that site. For the rest of you, including you my Lady Cinnibar, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Sudden angst and a general "what is going on?" feeling.

Anniversary

When Duo woke up that morning, he could feel something was off. Something happened today, he just knew it, but what? The sense of wrongness stayed with him as he got up and stretched.

He trudged down to the kitchen, already smelling out the breakfast that Solo was whipping up. Now how was he able to run a hotel as fancy as this one, spend most of his time with him, and cook almost every meal? Duo couldn't help but feel a little guilty at taking advantage of Solo's hospitality. Solo was giving him all this and he, Duo, had given nothing back. He'd just have to fix that.

Sitting down at the table, he found himself with only a bowl of oatmeal and a couple pieces of dry toast. Looked like Solo was feeling lazy today. Either that or he had a lot of work to do and made something simple and fast so he could get down to business quicker.

Solo looked up from the morning paper and flashed Duo a small smile before greeting him. "Mornin' Kid."

"Morn_ing_," Duo corrected automatically earning a chuckle from Solo. Watching Solo dive back into the paper, Duo pondered not for the first time on when or how Solo first began to read. Neither of them had used that skill when they were younger ever, though Solo had mentioned that he had gotten into his first employer's books so sometime while he was there he must have learned how to do it.

But even as he ate, that off feeling continued to plague him. He didn't catch the date on the paper but then again he wasn't interested in that. Solo wasn't paying attention but even if he had been, Duo wouldn't have shown any of his unease. Solo had a lot to do besides worrying over him, which was done quite often, and he didn't need Duo to add anything to it.

When breakfast was finished and Solo trekked to his study to brave the horrors of the business world, Duo decided to relieve his tension and take his mind off the wrongness. He went into the gym to do just that.

And yet that feeling still hadn't left him, even after all the chin-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, and other exercises he did.

As he was working on the punching bag, like a spurt of intuition, it came to him. If he checked what today was, then perhaps he could figure out if there was any sort of significance today. Finishing up, Duo returned to the kitchen and took a look at the date that was printed on it.

He froze.

Oh no. How could he forget this? How could he have ever forgotten this?

He opened the paper, his eyes scanning for something in particular. He knew what was so special about today but he still wanted confirmation. Then he found it, tucked away on page 8. There was no mistake. Today was it.

Going back into the living room, Duo sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. Images only his eyes could see flashed before him. They were terrible, horrible. He would never forget, _never_. But hadn't he already when he woke up this morning sensing unease? This was so confusing.

He sat in that position for what may have been minutes or maybe hours without doing anything. He couldn't cry not because he didn't want to but because boys didn't cry. They just didn't…

When Solo entered the room, ready to begin with his wooing again, he saw his braided friend. Frowning a little, he spoke out, "Something wrong, Kid?"

Duo didn't answer, which surprised Solo. Usually the kid would retort or answer him but this…

Pushing back his plans for flirting with Duo, Solo walked to his friend and placed his hands on Duo's shoulders in an attempt to reassure and perhaps calm him. He was caught off guard when Duo reflexively grabbed his wrists and flung him onto the couch, straddling his hips with one hand ready to plunge into his neck.

"Kid!" Solo cried out, fear on his face and in his voice. Duo's eyes were glazed over and he it seemed he hadn't recognized Solo until he cried out. Taking it deep breathes, Duo began to return back to the present and when he saw what things were like, he was appalled.

"God, Solo!" Duo flung himself away. He couldn't believe what he had almost done. He had almost killed his best friend…

"Kid, Duo, wat is wrong?" Solo asked carefully as he cautiously made his way to the shaken ex-pilot.

"Solo, stay away. I-I almost…"

"No," Solo firmly stated. "Don't think I'm going to let watever is happenin' get between us. I want to help you, Duo. Let me help you."

Duo made no further action as Solo approached him. Making sure Duo saw his hands at all times, he slowly kneeled down and wrapped his arms around the smaller young man. A few seconds later, Duo clung onto the blond, burying his face into Solo shirt. Solo could feel the shaking of Duo's shoulders and it didn't take long for him to start feeling a small source of wetness on his chest.

"It's okay Duo, it's okay," Solo soothed, rubbing Duo's back and rocking back and forth. He had no clue what was causing Duo to break down like this but he was damn sure going to get to the bottom of this. "Everything's all right, Kid."

Duo voice was muffled as he replied with something. Solo had to ask him to repeat himself. "It's not all right. I forgot. I forgot."

"What did you forget Duo?"

"Boys don't cry, boys don't cry…"

"Duo!" Solo snapped. "Boys may not cry but real men do. It's not a crime for you to cry. Just let it all out. I'm here for ya."

With that, it seemed as if a torrent of tears escaped Duo's eyes as he buried his face into Solo's chest again. This time, Solo could hear the sobs and it only served to worry the blond even more. What could cause Duo to become like this?

After what seemed to do an eternity, Duo finally began to calm down, his sobs becoming hiccups. Solo continued rubbing and rocking until he judged that Duo was his own man again. Slowly, he pushed Duo slightly away and used a hand to lift Duo's head up so he could see his face. Duo's eyes were red and puffy and it caused Solo to feel a wave of protectiveness wash over him.

"You all right?" Solo asked.

Duo nodded his head though his eyes stilled leaked. Removing his hand from Duo's chin, he used his thumb to wipe some of Duo's tears away.

"Feelin' better?"

"Fell_ing_," Duo corrected but shook his head in negation.

"Can I do anything to help?"

Another shake.

"Is there anything anybody else can do to help?"

Another shake.

"Is there anything that can be done at all?"

"I…have to…go…" Duo rasped as he began to stand up. Alarms rang in Solo's head. Was he saying that he was leaving?

"Go? Where?"

"Out."

Solo eyes narrowed slightly but he acted quickly. "Tell you what. Go upstairs and get changed. I'll do the same. Then we'll both go out, _together_. Alright Kid?"

Duo nodded and began making his way over to the stairs. Once Duo had vanished from sight, Solo stood up and started looking around. Something had to set Duo off like that, but what? Catching from the corner of his eye the opened newspaper in the kitchen, Solo hastened over. His eyes scanned the articles quickly before something caught his eye. He mouthed the words to himself and his eyes widened. Was this…? Please let it not be so.

Turning on his heels, Solo quickly went up to his room where he began to dress quickly. He didn't want to keep the kid waiting. He was going to find out what was going on and he was going to fix it to the best of his abilities. He'd left the kid alone once and he wasn't going to do it again.

Opening a drawer on his nightstand, Solo removed a knife and a gun. One could never be too careful on the streets of L2. Stashing the weapons on his person, Solo left to go retrieve Duo.


	14. Church

Author's Note: The title of this chapter should explain all. If not, you'll just have to read it. Anyway, thank you ShinyObsessed for the info on the Maxwell Church. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Angst.

Church

Ever since he had gained his high class position, Solo had kept himself inside his hotel or in its near proximity. Now, after so long, he was walking back down the poverty-stricken streets of one of the poorest parts of L2. It wasn't something that he reveled in.

Glancing over to Duo, Solo strengthened his resolve. Duo needed to be down here for some reason, whatever that reason may be. He would support Duo in this. The kid's emotional state wasn't the most stable. Keeping his hand in his coat pocket, tightening his grip on his gun, he steeled his nerves.

There was only one stop along the way. Duo had stopped in front of a rickety stand that sold flowers. They weren't the best around but Duo was adamant in getting some. Solo generously donated some money for a bouquet, as per request. Duo cradled the bundle of flowers like a newborn child as he pushed forward, going deeper into L2.

He had to admit that he was curious. But his curiosity could wait as it seemed they were drawing closer and closer to Duo's destination. Solo kept an eye out for potential threats. Walking out and about in the open during the "daylight" was close to a death wish. Street gangs and thugs prowled the streets at all times, preying on the weak and unsuspecting. Countless times and again a man of wealth had made the mistake of walking alone down the streets on L2 only to have everything on his body taken and nearly beaten to death.

It wasn't much further until Duo stopped at a vacant lot. It wasn't completely vacant due to the bits of rubble that hadn't been picked up by scavengers. Solo could only think _was this it?_

Duo carefully made his way into the lot, being careful not to disturb the ruins too much. It was as if the braided one held this place to be sacred. Solo gingerly followed, stepping only onto spaces that Duo had previously set foot. Without warning, Duo stopped.

Before him was a charred area. Solo could only wonder what use to be here.

"This use to be the altar," Duo spoke softly. "This is where the Father would give his sermons and calls for peace. And Sister would be at the organ, sitting on the bench that used to be over there. If she wasn't there than she was either beside the Father or in one of the pews sitting next to one of us." Duo bent over and laid his bouquet down on the charred area.

Solo looked at Duo. "So you mean…this use to be where…?"

"Yes," Duo answered solemnly. "Where we stand now was where the Maxwell Church used to be. Before those rebels came in and took it over, despite Father Maxwell's protests. Where the Alliance would later bomb it, killing all 245 people inside…including the eighty-seven orphans." (1)

"Were you here when it…?"

"No, I wasn't. I had left to steal a Mobile Suit. I thought that if the rebels had one, they would leave. I was successful but when I got back with the Suit, I was too late.

"Right there," Duo said, without turning his head, his hand pointing at a spot among the ruins, "I held Sister Helen right there. I held her as she laid there, dying. That was the last time I ever cried. I swore never to do it again."

Solo gazed over the area, now with a better understanding. So this was where the Kid had been all that time. How could he have overlooked it? If he had gone to the churches, perhaps he could have spared his Kid all of that suffering.

"So wat happened after?"

"I snuck onto a Sweeper ship. I was discovered in the cargo bay. I got lucky. G was onboard at that time and the ship was carrying the stuff he needed to build Deathscythe. I don't have to tell you that I was trained by the guy to pilot Deathscythe."

"I see."

"You probably know all the rest, don't you?"

"Uh huh."

Duo fell silent for a few minutes as he gazed over the church ruins again. "I can't believe I forgot about today. I can't believe I forgot about Sister Helen, Father Maxwell, the other kids…"

"It's all right," Solo soothed, putting an arm around Duo's shoulders.

"No it's not. I should have been there. There should have been eighty-eight orphans. I should have died with them."

"Don't say that!" Solo snapped, turning Duo to face him and to glare at him. "Don't you ever say dat. Da past is past, Duo. There's nothing we can do to change dat. I am glad dat—_that_ you're still alive and you're right here next ta me. Ya—_you_ have had a hard life. So have I. So have the rest of L2. But we're here right now and I wouldn't change that now. I, too, am sorry that this happened. I wished it never did, just like you. But it did happen and it shaped your life for better or worse."

"Why are you saying this…?"

"Because ya need ta hear it, Kid. This was going to happen even if you were here. Then wat? You'd be dead too. Don't you see what you have done with your life? You've saved the world, touched so many people's lives in one form or another. I think it would be disrespecting their lives, their _memory_, if you continue to mope around on this."

"How can you say that? You know nothing!" Duo snarled.

Solo sighed. "Kid. You did not do this. It's not your fault. It was those bastards from the Alliance who destroyed the church. Not you. But you changed all that. You got rid of them, of Oz, Romafellor, hell, even White Fang. Many things have been taken from you. I know. But you've given so much more back. Don't throw away your life because some assholes ruined it. Rise above it. I think that's what Father Maxwell and Sister Helen would have wanted."

"Well, wat do we 'ave here?"

Both young men turned to face the interloper. A street gang. Already they were circling around the two, cutting off all exits and escape. Duo's eyes narrowed at this. How dare these insects disturb these hallowed grounds?

"What do you want?" Duo asked, his voice cold enough to freeze all the water pipes in the area.

"We just curious," the gang leader drawled. "Wat's two fellas like you doin' in a place like dis? Ya too clean fer yer own goods. Hand over all ya got on ya an' wel'' leaves yas alone."

"You better leave," Duo growled.

"An' wat ya gonna do bout dat, pipsqueak. Dare's twenty of us an' two of you."

"Correction. There's a two hour delay in law enforcement and medical attention. Leave now."

"Ya thinks ya tough, huh?"

"Wat are you doin' Kid?" Solo hissed, clutching his hidden gun anxiously.

"Just get down, Solo. I'll take care of this," Duo replied.

Glancing around, Solo could see the street thugs holding crude knives, metal pipes, two-by-fours, and other blunt objects. Seeing the tenseness of Duo's shoulders was an ominous sign to the blond.

The flash of a gun being drawn from Duo's person was all the warning Solo had to drop to the ground and cover his head. Duo's hands move like lightning. Before any of the thugs had a chance to know what was going on, the ex-pilot had begun shooting, the loud noise shattering the silence. His aim was precise but his shots were only to maim, not kill. The yells and curses of the thugs was only the beginning. Not going too far from his older friend, Duo used all he had on his person. That also included the knives he had hidden on him. Thug after thug fell, either clutching a gunshot wound or crying out at the blade that had entered their bodies. Duo was quick and in less than a few minutes had all but one of the thugs down. Their leader was staring at Duo in shock.

Duo put his weapons away and motioned for the other to come at him. Seeing that Duo's weapons were gone, the thug took up a lead pipe and attacked, swinging it at Duo's head. Duo ducked and laid three jabs into the thug's gut. He grabbed the other's wrist and with a deft twist, shattered the wrist bones. The thug screamed in pain but Duo wasn't finished with him. Taking up the lead pipe, he swung it onto the thug's knee, shattering the joint, causing the thug to fall to the ground. Tossing the pipe away, he laid a kick into the other's face, knocking him unconscious.

When the commotion was over, Solo lifted his head up and gaped at the scene before him. The only person still standing was Duo. With the exception of Solo, everybody else was on the ground, moaning from whatever wounds they had received. Duo was coldly going to those with knife wounds and pulling the blades out of their bodies, wiping the blood off the sharp metal on the thugs' clothes before putting the weapon away.

"C'mon, Solo," Duo spoke as soon as he was finished. "Let's get out of here."

Not daring to disobey, Solo nodded and hastily got up, making his way over to Duo.

"Are they all…?"

"No," Duo sighed. "They're all alive. They should be glad I didn't feel like killing today. By now, somebody has probably called for the law to investigate but both you and I know they'll take their sweet time getting here." Turning to leave, Duo spoke again, his voice suddenly exhausted. "Let's go home."

"Home?"

"The hotel, Solo. Your place."

"Ah." Solo's eyes gleamed and his heart lifted. The kid wanted to stay, did he? Home. That was the first time he had ever heard the kid utter that word. Hopefully, he considered home to be wherever he, Solo, was.

It was a hope at least but hopefully he could make it more permanent.

* * *

(1) The statistics for the Maxwell Church victims isn't specific except for the total body count. I just put down the first number off the top of my head. Once again, thank you ShinyObsessed for your help.


	15. Relax

Author's Note: For now, the angst is over. What "Duo goes to L2" fic is worth reading without a visit to the Maxwell Church? As ShinyObsessed put it, it's "barely worth the time it takes to click the back button." Now how about we get back into a bit of normalcy…at least what you can call normal when Duo and Solo are involved. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Annoying warnings, annoying disclaimers, some more shounen-ai, innuendoes

Relax

"Ahhhhhh…" Duo breathed.

It felt great. Oh it was so good. He could die right now and go to heaven. Ah! There, right there! Oh so good…

"I see you like that," Solo teased.

"Don't stop," Duo moaned.

"You got it, Kid."

"Go lower Solo. Lower…"

"As you wish."

"Lower Solo!"

"Any lower and I'll be touching your ass."

"Touch it."

"I don't think we're _that_ close. Unless you want to be…"

Duo blushed. "Why do you have to do that?" he complained.

"Shush, Kid. I'm concentrating."

"Concentrating my—oh God!"

It had been a few days since the incident at the church ruins. For a couple days, things had been a little tense. Then, from out of nowhere, Solo had led him into yet another part of the apartment and had instructed him to take off his clothes, wrap a towel around him, and lie down on a cushioned table.

Who knew Solo was so…_talented_ at giving a massage?

"You like that, don't ya?"

"You…" Duo corrected, though he lingered on the word.

Solo smirked. Oh yes. He had him where he wanted him. Easing the contact his oiled hands had on Duo's body, Solo maneuvered himself to where he was now straddling the relaxed braided one. Duo's reaction was immediate, despite being in a relaxed state of mind.

"Solo? What—?" Duo spoke, his head snapping up off the table.

"Ssh," Solo whispered, his mouth near Duo's ear, his clothed chest pressing into Duo's back. "Just relax Kid. I know wat I'm doing." Lifting his upper body back up, Solo used his new leverage to add more pressure onto the kid's back, his hands stroking and massaging away the tension from Duo's muscles.

"Oh…yeah…" Duo breathed. If Solo hadn't been straddling him, Duo would've sworn that he would be stretching his body out like a cat. It felt so wonderful. Why had Solo waited so long to do this? If he hadn't been massaging him right now, Duo swore he would have shot him. Of course, it would have to be non-lethal.

Solo was tempted to try something. But he resisted. Duo was in such a relaxed state that he didn't have the heart to shatter that. The kid needed something like this to release the tension that had been cultivated over the past few days. However, he was getting a little tired and he wouldn't have minded for a massage himself at the moment. Fortunately for him, he had the next best thing.

"I'm getting a little tired Kid," he announced, receiving a disappointed groan in return. "Don't worry your pretty little braid off. I got—"

"Have," Duo interrupted.

"—have something just as good. Give me a few minutes to get it ready. Don't go anywhere." With that, Solo removed himself and left the room, much to Duo's disappointment. He sighed as he just laid there, not bothering to move a single muscle. What was Solo up to? And what could be better than this? If he had had the energy, he would have pounded the cushioned table in frustration. But, he'd have to save that for another time.

Solo returned minutes later, making audible noise as he returned. One did not sneak up on a L2 street rat if one wanted to live a long, wholesome life. He felt Solo wrap his arms around him and pick him up. Normally, Duo would've object to being carried around as he had two good legs to walk with but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He didn't pay any attention to his surroundings until Solo came to a stop. He heard an odd bubbling noise and he turned his head to sneak a peek at what was going on.

"A hot tub?" Duo questioned.

"A whirlpool," Solo corrected.

"Aren't they the same thing?"

"You know, I don't know."

Duo shook his head in amusement. That was just like Solo…

"So what'cha planning?"

"Well, I plan to drop you in there unless you can get in yourself."

"I can."

"Good." Duo was a bit wobbly but he mindlessly dropped his towel onto the floor, sinking gingerly into the bubbling water.

"Aah…" Duo breathed as he settled down.

"Watever you do, Kid, don't turn around."

"Uh huh," Duo answered, his eyes closing. He heard the ruffled sound of clothing being taken off but he paid it no mind. He felt the water move as somebody else got in. Cracking an eye open, he saw Solo now relaxing as well.

Dreamily, he turned his head around to look at his surroundings. He caught the towel that he had abandoned but once again paid no mind to such a meaningless detail. He saw a small pile of clothes that consisted of a T-shirt, sweat pants, underwear…

Wait a minute. If all of Solo's clothes were there, and his only piece of cloth that consisted of a towel was over there…

"Um, Solo?" Duo asked nervously. "Are you…?"

"Naked?" Solo drawled, already knowing that Duo had caught sight of his clothing and was putting two and two together. "You bet your ass."

Duo's blushed to a redness Solo hadn't thought possible. Duo made to get out and make a run for it when Solo grabbed a hold of the first thing he could to stop him, which just happened to be Duo's braid. The sharp tug could have caused the escaping one to lose balance and fall back but his Gundam pilot's training came back and only his head was tilted back.

Before Duo could make any sort of comment, Solo beat him to the first word. "Please don't."

"Huh?" Duo glanced back.

Then Solo smirked. "Better get back under. It's a nice view."

Duo plopped back down and pulled his braid away from the offending braid-tugger. Duo 'hmphed' and turned his face away in a snobbish manner, his nose sticking up in the air.

"Just relax Kid," Solo spoke as his fingers drifted to a control panel near the tub. Pressing a couple buttons caused the hot tub to shoot more water out the jets. It didn't take long for Duo to melt into a slouching position. He closed his eyes and fell into the flow of pleasurable feelings that he was receiving. He was caught up in it all that he failed to notice a shift in the water. He did, however, notice the arm that casually laid itself on his shoulders.

His eyes snapped opened and took a long look at the fact that Solo was now sitting next to him, practically skin-to-skin, his right arm slung over his shoulders. He flushed and made a jerking movement to get away but Solo's armed tightened and it took everything Duo had not to react. Even if he was uncomfortable, he didn't want to hurt Solo.

"Solo? What are you…?"

"Why are you so jittery?" Solo casually asked, only one of his eyes looking at him.

"Don't you think we're a little _too_ close?"

"Nope."

"But what if I…if you…"

"Ain't nothing I haven't seen before."

"But we were kids then!"

"So what?"

"Solo, we're practically adults!"

"Aren't we already?"

Duo was beginning to grit his teeth together in frustration. What was Solo trying to pull? This was getting old real quickly. "Solo!"

"You have a problem with this?" Solo asked, completely serious, his arm already retracted.

Now that he thought about it, it wasn't _too_ bad. But it was the principle! Solo couldn't keep on doing these things. It was doing more than making him uncomfortable, it was also staring to unnerve him.

"Of course I don't have a problem," Duo replied. "It's just that you're always doing something like this! You always have to touch me or make me think you're doing something naughty when it's something else entirely and I'm getting sick and tired of it!"

"Is that how you feel?" Solo asked quietly.

"I mean, I wouldn't mind if it happened every once in a while but almost every single day? C'mon man!"

Without warning, Solo asked, "Would you like to touch me?"

_What?!!_

Duo gaped at Solo, making a pretty good impression of a fish. He searched for anything that might contradict what Solo had just asked but those green eyes were intense.

"It's only fair," Solo continued, "I touched you so why don't you touch me?"

Duo nodded dumbfounded. Something about what Solo said didn't sound right, but deep inside, he had to admit that it was very tempting. Resistance was futile as Duo sat down next to his friend. With his arms propped up on the sides of the tub, Solo leaned his head back and closed his eyes as if giving out a silent invitation.

With a cautious hand, Duo reached out and laid a hand on the pale expanse of skin that was Solo's chest. He could feel the muscles beneath the skin and he slowly moved his hand in a circular motion out of pure instinct. The only change in Solo was his breathing as he took in deeper breaths.

Duo's hand moved up to Solo's right arm as his appendage began to explore the muscled limb. It wasn't long before his hand made it back to the torso and slowly went down under the water. He felt the abs below the surface and Duo trailed his fingers around that region. Solo was emitting soft sounds but was for the most part being quiet. Duo's hand went lower and to a side as he began feeling the thighs. At this point, he was in a trance, focused only on the person right next to him.

"Ohh, Kid," Solo murmured.

That was enough to break the spell that Duo found himself under. His hand jerked away as if it had touched a hot pan. Blushing furiously and murmuring apologizes, Duo got out as quick as possible, unmindful of his naked state as he snatched his towel and made good on his escape.

Solo sighed and sank down into the water. Oh, how he had enjoyed that! If only…if only Duo had moved his hand a little closer to the left… Looking down at the water, looking straight at his new "problem," even though it was obscured by the bubbling water, Solo made an irritated sound.

Oh God, why'd he have to make any noise? He craved that touch now, wanted it more than anything. It was so good and he wanted more of it. Then again, anything Duo did was good. Didn't matter what the hell it was. He looked at his right hand and sighed again.

"It looks like it's just you and me now, buddy."

Solo turned off the tub and got out, making his way over to the nearest bathroom. He didn't want to have to clean up the hot tub after all.


	16. Toys

Author's Note: I know, I probably disappointed some people out there. But never fear, there is still so much to do, such as Duo getting his revenge on Solo. What, you thought I forgot about that? However, there are certain things in this chapter that I am not sure should be in this so I'll do an experiment. When you're finish, review and tell me if I went too far in this one. This is not an attempt to get reviews, I just want to know if this chapter is over the top. If it is, I can heavily edit and repost it again. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Disturbing…items not for the faint of heart and the OMGWTF! factor

Toys

Duo felt bad. He felt really bad. Why, oh why, had he run like that? What did Solo think of him now? Were his feelings hurt? Did he resent him? This was eating him up!

He had to do something. He needed to do something that would give Solo an indication that he wasn't anxious around him. But what could he do to accomplish that? Think, damn you, think!

Wait a second.

A prank! Of course, it was so obvious! Why hadn't he thought of that right off the bat? He was good at doing this sort of thing. Then again, he wasn't completely normal, if he could call it that, when Solo entered into any equation. Now what could he do? It couldn't be a funny ha-ha prank, no matter how tempted he was. He couldn't do something that could hurt Solo either. Solo wasn't a Gundam pilot, thus he had a lower threshold for pain and would take a longer time for him to recover.

So what did that leave him to work with? Too damn little.

Maybe…maybe Solo had something he could use, something he might have…in his bedroom! Maxwell, you are a genius!

Stealthily, he snuck down the corridor, going straight to Solo's bedroom. He knew for a fact that the blond didn't lock the door. But just because he didn't lock it didn't mean he left it unguarded or unoccupied. It would be a little tricky to figure out the answers to the previous but he was confident that neither would pose a problem. He was Duo Maxwell, Gundam pilot 02, the master of stealth and secrecy. How could Solo stand up to that?

Turning the knob to the door as quietly as possible, he cracked the door opened, peering through the crack, searching for any sign of life or whatnot. There was nothing from what he could see so he dared to open the door a little wider. Once he had determined that there was indeed nothing on the other side, he snuck in, quietly shutting the door behind him.

The room was lacking in the decoration department. Duo couldn't blame him as none of the fancy stuff people would decorate their bedrooms with would appeal to someone like Solo. The bed, though king-sized had only simple sheets and a simple comforter on it. It was not made up though it wasn't messy. The floor was carpeted and there was only necessary furniture about, which included a night stand, a dresser and a shelf. On the shelf sat a T.V. which only served to piss Duo off. How come Solo had a T.V. in his room but he didn't? As Wufei would say, INJUSTICE!

Duo spied the closet and decided to go into it first. After all, lots of people hid lots of stuff in their closets. Since the closet door was already ajar, he opened it wider and as silently as he could. Reaching up carefully, he turned on the closet light to get a better look around. The closet was a walk-in but it was strange. There were hardly any nice shirts hanging up. Sure there were a few business suits but the rest were all the shirts that Solo had been wearing since he got here. Hell, there were a few hangers with sweat pants of all things hanging on them. There were hardly any shoes and the closet was barely cluttered. Quatre would have a heart attack.

A large box sitting up on one of the upper shelves caught his eye. What's this, he wondered. Taking the box and setting it gently, in case there was anything breakable in it, on the floor, Duo sat down next to his find and removed the top off it. His eyebrows rose at the items hidden inside the cardboard and he gingerly reached into it and pulled out the first object he grabbed.

A sleeping mask? Duo examined the piece of cloth. Finding nothing off with it, he put it on the floor and reached back in for something else.

His eyes widened. Now this was…interesting. The new object he held was a bit…disturbing. It was a fuzzy handcuff. Now Duo was not innocent and knew exactly what something like this was used for. The question was, why did Solo have it? An idea for a possible prank came to mind and he pocketed the cuff.

The next thing he pulled out was a peacock feather. Now what the hell was this thing for? Why the hell would Solo have something as useless as this? It made no sense! He placed the large feather next to the sleeping mask and reached back in for something else.

_Oh dear God!_ What he pulled out next made his eyes bulge and he knew if his eyes got any bigger, they would pop out. It was probably ten inches long, smooth, rounded at the tip, and had a switch at the bottom of it. He held his arm out as far as it could go, horror making itself known on his face.

What the hell?! A vibrator!?

Duo didn't know why Solo had this. Duo didn't want to know why Solo had this. Duo especially didn't want to know exactly _where_ this…thing had been. His hand began to shake and he made small noises in the back of his throat. Now holding it as if the thing would bite him, he set it down ever so softly and as far away as possible. He just knew that thing was going to give him nightmares. What the hell?

Attempting to calm himself, Duo focused his gaze back on the cardboard box of horrors and reluctantly dived his hand back in. The next few items he took out weren't as…frightening as the previous one. Just a few…okay, okay _a lot_ of tubes of lubrication, a few boxes of condoms, another set of fuzzy handcuffs, a jar of chocolate sauce (with the expiration date of…last year?! What the hell was expired chocolate sauce doing in here?!), and a few other toys that will not be mentioned.

After putting everything back in as best he could, along with the plastic rod from hell, Duo closed the box up and started to return it back to its proper place when he saw yet another similar box. He didn't want to look in that one but he did anyway because he knew if he didn't, it would haunt him until he did look into it.

Taking this new box down and opening it, Duo made a puzzled look. What faced him was just some innocent black material. Wondering what it was, he touched it only to realize that the material was leather. Gingerly picking it up, his face blushed at the leather vest he now held. Doubtless, there were other things in the box that would…compliment this. Unfortunately, he made himself dig deeper into the box, which only proved him correct, before putting the leather clothes back in their box and sealing them back up. As quickly as he could he put the boxes back in their original positions and as quickly and as quietly as he could, escaped Solo's room.

Shutting himself up in the guestroom that he had commandeered, Duo flopped his back onto the bed and made a grimace. He removed the forgotten cuffs from his pocket and stared at it for a few minutes before deciding something. He would not use this thing…yet.

Okay, so Solo's closet had scarred him for life. What was he going to do to get back at him? Feeling himself composed, he left his room and headed towards the kitchen. Upon reaching the tiled room, he noticed a sheet of paper. Glancing at it, he realized it was a grocery list. So this was how Solo got food up here. Hmm…now how could he use this?

A wicked grin spread onto his face and he added a couple items onto it. Oh yes…oh yes, this would do. Now was the time Duo Maxwell, the grand prankster of pranksters, would finally have his revenge!

And this would only be the beginning…


	17. Revenge

Author's Note: This chapter was originally two. However, the second chapter wasn't coming out right, so I decided to put them together and be done with it. If any of you can tell me where this chapter originally ended, and where the next began, I'll give you a prize. By the way, here's a birthday gift for you Rynn-Rynn. Thought I forgot about that didn't you? Have yourself a happy birthday, this one's for you. As for the rest of you, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Prank that is not pretty but the response is hilarious. Not for those who are easily disgusted.

Revenge

Duo began accepting the grocery bags from Barney, the man he had met in the elevator when he had first arrived (1). At first, the man had been a bit intimidating, but Duo now knew that the man was a gentle giant. Thus he could joke around with the man and not fear for his precious hide.

Barney had been doing Solo's grocery shopping for quite sometime and had knew that the last few items on the bottom of the list were things that Solo never asked for. In order to get around that, he let Barney in on his revenge prank and the giant of a man just smiled and nodded. Duo's materials had been placed in a separate bag, which Duo immediately hid. Giving his thanks to Barney, Duo set out to putting the groceries away. It didn't take him as long as it had the first time he had put stuff away. He knew where most of the stuff went now. He wasn't too absorbed in his task not to notice that Solo was casually leaning in the doorway, watching him.

"You look like a housewife, Kid."

If Duo had had any doubts about putting his prank into action, they were now all gone. How _dare_ Solo call him a housewife! Oh, that blond was practically _begging_ for it. However, all Duo did in retaliation was stick out his tongue childishly as he continued with his self-appointed task.

"What's for supper tonight?" Duo asked.

"Take out," Solo said simply. "Don't feel like cooking tonight."

"Was it anything that happened earlier…?" Duo began uneasily, looking at the blond.

"Hell no. I was thinking about it before that. You know I don't hold what happened earlier against you, right Kid?"

Duo caught the hopefulness in Solo's eyes and he shook his head. "I'm sorry for how I acted Solo. I kinda overreacted."

"Don't blame yourself Kid. I should be the one apologizing. I'm the one who put you in the position in the first place."

"And aren't we getting sappy," Duo replied mockingly.

"Damn it Kid. What happened to us? We're talking like chicks now."

"Want to beat each other's brains out? A bunch of bruises should cure us of this."

"I don't know. You gonna go easy on me?"

"Hell no."

"Sorry Kid, my pride and dignity was tarnished last time. Beat me again and I don't think I'll be a man anymore."

"The only way for that to happen is if I rip it off."

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't talk about something like that so carelessly! It hurts just thinking about it."

"I know what you mean," Duo said, shivering a little. Sometimes he scared himself with the stuff that came out of his mouth.

"So we cool Kid?"

"Yeah, we cool Solo."

"Good. What do ya feel like having?"

"It's _you_ and I could go for anything. You decide."

"But of course."

---

They had decided on pizza. Solo ordered two extra-larges. Why did he do this? The two immature men had challenged each other. Duo had started by boasting he could eat more than Solo could and everything went downhill from there.

They had been drinking soda, as Solo refused to buy any alcohol, as they waited for the pizzas when Solo had to go to the little boys' room. Duo then put his plan into action. He retrieved his bag of tricks and pulled out a small box. The box contained sleeping pills and they were integral to Duo's plan. He didn't want Solo to wake up while he was in the midst of setting up his prank, after all.

He crushed a pill into dust and dumped it into Solo's drink. He hid his materials and sat back down at the table just as Solo left the bathroom.

"I hoped you washed your hands! (2)" Duo called out. He heard grumbling and then the sound of the sink faucet spewing out water. He chuckled to himself as Solo returned with a scowl. That scowl didn't last too long as Barney brought up the delivery.

As soon as the man left, the young men set up the table in preparation of their competition. As soon as they were settled, it was pure carnage. Duo and Solo crammed slice after slice into their mouths, taking chugs of their drinks every now and then.

Duo won. Easily. Solo was still active but he was cursing the other out loud, declaring he'd get him next time. Half an hour later, Solo was dead asleep.

Duo smiled down at Solo. Quite evilly. He managed to get Solo to his room where Duo set him on his bed and left to retrieve the last of his bag of tricks. Returning, Duo closed the door and chuckled to himself. He took off Solo's sweat pants, knowing that the blond usually slept in his boxers and a shirt. However, he didn't stop there as he pulled those boxers down next.

Duo let out a small whistle. "Man, you're packing." Getting over his awe, he took out an aerosol can and shook it. Pressing down on the top, a white foam shot out at Duo's target. When he had deemed there was enough, he put the can down and took out his next item. He opened a package, taking out a razor. In another package, he removed a few razor blades and put the blades into the razor.

Chuckling evilly, Duo got to work.

---

Duo left Solo's bedroom, his hands now washed of all the substances he had used. He carried his plastic grocery bag with him and hid it again. Who knew when he'd have need of them again.

Impatient for the morning, Duo went to the guestroom.

---

Morning couldn't have come any sooner for Duo. The braided one sat at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cold cereal. There had been a few times when Solo had been so lazy that he had refused to cook. Duo couldn't have been more glad that Solo had cereal as the energy he would get from it would help him avoid Solo for a while.

God knew that Solo was going to be pissed off when he woke up.

---

Solo woke up groggily. Man, he was so tired! Could it have been the pizza? No, couldn't have been that. Then why was he so tired? And why did his face itch? Perhaps he needed to shave again.

Getting out of bed sluggishly, he stretched as he made his face to the bathroom. He felt an odd sensation every time he took a step. Looking down, he saw he still had his boxers on. The Kid must have removed his sweats last night. How thoughtful of him.

Turning on the bathroom light and closing the door behind him, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and froze.

_What the…_

Solo raised a hand gingerly and placed it on his check. It was real. His reflection had showed him having hair on his face, forming a slight beard and mustache. It couldn't be right though. He knew that his body had difficulty growing facial hair due to the malnutrition he had experienced as a kid. It couldn't be possible that he could have grown hair this long over night. Wait a minute.

The odd sensation he had felt as he had walked earlier returned to his troubled mind. Taking the waistband on his boxers, he pulled it out and looked down.

By God, what happened to him?! It was all…bare down there. Where did it all go…!

His head snapping back up to look at his reflection again, he touched the hair again, feeling it. Then his face began to contort with rage. Now he knew what had happened and there was only one other person here that had the guts to do something like this.

He bellowed, "KID!"

---

Duo head snapped upwards as he heard Solo's cry of outrage. So he figured it out, huh? The fury in that yell told Duo that Solo was _not_ amused. It was time to do what he did best.

He ran and hid.

Thoughts of what Solo was going to do to him buzzed through his head but one thought remained permanent.

_This is so worth it!_

---

"When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna kick your scrawny ass from here to Earthside!"

"As if you'll ever find me!"

Solo, still with his new facial hair, was rampaging across the suite, searching for one dead braided prankster.

"Where are you?!"

"Like I'll tell you that!"

Duo's voice rang about the suite with no definite source of origin. This, of course, served to piss Solo off even more. That kid was dead when he got his hands on him!

"Come on out and take it like a man, coward!"

"I run and hide, Solo, or did you forget that?"

Solo charged into his study, scanning the room for the third time. Nope, the kid wasn't in here. Damn him! Where could he be hiding?! In his fury, he tried to rip out a handful of the hair on his face but winced as it held tight.

"What da hell did ya use?!"

"Super glue, blondie! No way you're gonna get that off any time soon!"

Oh no he didn't. He didn't just call him "blondie." That was just adding insult to injury. Solo growled and punched the nearby wall. Sure, the throbbing pain distracted him momentarily but the thought of a grinning Kid made him see red all over again. The kid would have to come out sometime. He was sure of that but first he had to get rid of this crap on his face. Thanks to a movie he had seen from the twenty-first century, he already knew a remedy for this (3). Hopefully, it would help.

Pushing a button to an intercom on his desk, he asked for paint thinner to be brought up to the suite immediately. Then, he sat back and waited, resisting the urge to either scratch his face or start hunting the kid again. Patience, he told himself. He'd get the kid back for this. Oh, it was on! If he wanted to play hardball, so be it! He wasn't a pushover! He could give as well as he could take! That kid did not know what he was up against!

Since he did live on top of a hotel, a building that annually repainted the rooms, it wouldn't take too long for the paint thinner to arrive. Sure enough, the elevator opened with Barney holding on to a can of the stuff. After thanking him and taking the can, he turned to stomp back up to the bathroom. Had he turned around, he would have caught Barney with a large grin on his face but alas he didn't.

Once in the bathroom with the door locked, he proceeded to get his hands dirty. After some time had passed, he reemerged from the bathroom, his face rubbed red from hair removal. He was still pissed but he had a plan to avenge himself already in mind.

Entering the kitchen, he noticed that it was close to lunch time. Perfect. The smell of food would lure his prey to him. Gundam pilot or not, the kid had to eat sometime.

---

From his hiding place, Duo began to wonder what Solo was up to. From the sudden lack of noise, he guessed that Solo had given up on looking for him. However, he was suspicious. Solo was stubborn. He wouldn't give up too easily. What was he up to?

And then it hit his nostrils and he knew what Solo was up to.

_Damn him! How dare he try to get me out using food! Oh man, this is not cool!_

His stomach began to growl after a few minutes, urging him to follow his nose. He did his best to resist. He knew Solo was up to something but soon enough, he left his hiding place to satisfy his demanding stomach. At least he put the effort in resisting; that was all that mattered.

He snuck over to the kitchen and peered through the doorway. Solo stood at one of the counters, doing something that Duo thought to be cooking related. He crept as quietly as he could but was caught off guard as Solo spun around and threw something at him. His reflexes sharp, he caught the object only to have in burst and drench him in liquid.

"What the hell was that!" Duo sputtered as he spat out the liquid that he now identified as water. The elastic remains of what looked to be a balloon laid innocently on the floor at his feet.

"You think I was going to let you get away with that trick you pulled on me?" Solo retorted, a large grin on his face.

"It was just a joke," Duo protested weakly.

"Kid, shaving off my pubic hair and gluing it to my face is not my idea of a joke."

"That's cause you were on the receiving end of it. If it happened to somebody else, you'd be laughing your ass off."

"Good point. But I don't appreciate it when it's done to _me_."

"Don't be a pussy, Solo. You got to take what you give."

"Practice what you preach, Kid."

"This isn't over," Duo growled menacingly. "If you want to play that way, then this means war!"

"Bring it on, water-boy!"

"Oh, you'll see," Duo replied evilly. "I've just gotten started. You haven't seen anything yet!"

"You do that. I'm going to have myself some chicken tenders. Good luck fending for yourself."

"What?! You didn't make anything for me? You're so cruel!"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who glued pubic hair to my face, now did I?"

"But Solo! Cold cereal can only do so much!"

"Just messing with you Kid," Solo grinned. "I can't let you starve now. You are my guest."

"Yeah, and your guest wants food!"

"You young people are so impatient these days. Just hold your horses and wait a bit. The chicken is not going to cook itself just because you're hungry."

"It should!"

Solo chuckled at the other's childish antics. Why had he waited so long to get the Kid here? All this time had been like a walking dream. It was a dream he was determined to keep, no matter what. However, that didn't mean he was going to let the Kid walk all over him.

It was the principle, after all.

* * *

(1) If you don't know who Barney is, reread chapter four. He's the guy in the elevator. As for the name, think of Hannibal Lector's orderly. He is in no way, shape, or form related to a certain purple dinosaur.

(2) This is a jab at a certain ShadowMajin. You know what I'm talking about, dear SM.

(3) Take a wild guess which movie he saw. I'll tell you all what it is next chapter. And no, you can not guess what it is, ShadowMajin!


	18. Research

Author's Note: Now we are going back to other pilots again. Hate to take a detour but it's been awhile since they were last mentioned. However, please don't get pissed off at me because the pilots ask disturbing questions about a certain Father and we all know how much of a kind and caring person he was. With that aside, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Questions that cast a shadow on a very spotless person

Research

Finding, or trying to find, Duo Maxwell was like trying to find out the meaning of life. Both were elusive and always having the last laugh.

At least, that was how Quatre felt.

At first, it had been simple. Since all the other Gundam pilots had come from one of the colonies, it was just process of elimination to figure out which one Duo would most likely go to. Heero had come from L1, Trowa from L3, Wufei from L5, and he, Quatre, from L4. That left only L2 as the logical choice of origin.

Getting a hold of the records for all shuttle passengers traveling in the month of August hadn't been easy, but ultimately his high society status had won in the end. And he was correct. Duo's name showed up on a list for passengers heading to L2 and there wasn't a return flight for the ticket Duo had purchased.

Now that he had narrowed the area in which to search for his braided comrade, Quatre then began to look up the name Maxwell. Duo must have some sort of relations on the colony. He couldn't have come out of thin air.

However, there wasn't any family listed with the surname Maxwell. Nor were there any names with Duo as a first name. In fact, Quatre was appalled to find out that most of the L2 records he was looking at were at least two decades old and they didn't even scratch at the total amount of people who lived on the forsaken colony.

But to someone as determined as Quatre was, this was only a setback. He checked the censuses, looking for anything with the word Maxwell. What he found wasn't what he expected. There was somebody living on the colony who had the surname of Maxwell. That man just happened to be a priest.

Then Quatre started investigating this Priest, or Father, Maxwell, checking to see if the man may have had any affairs. Nothing came up but he did find out that his church doubled as an orphanage. Now this was something to look at.

It was when he started looking into the church that he ran into a dead end. In A.C. 188, the church had been taken over by rebels. The Alliance had bombed the building, killing all 245 people in it, including the orphans and clergy. Although it was reported that there were no survivors, rumors had surfaced of there being a survivor, there was never any confirmation on it.

This was where Quatre Winner now found himself.

Who was Duo Maxwell really? There wasn't anything on him preceding the wars on Duo. It was as if he _had_ appeared out of thin air! The others wouldn't be happy about his findings, though he had narrowed down the list of possible locations Duo may have gone to. But even on L4 it was known that a person could disappear on the streets of L2. Nothing had been done about the colony or its deteriorating state, even after the wars had ended.

And everything said that Duo had gone back to that desolated place.

What kind of person did that make him? He, a person that Duo should have been able to come to at any time, no matter what, chose to go back to a man-made hell than actually go to one of his friends. Quatre couldn't help but feel guilty about it. He was suppose to be Duo's friend. He should have been there for him. But now Duo was beyond his reach. Was there anyway to find his missing friend and try to patch up the broken friendship between them?

He had a call to make, to the other pilots. He'd told them he'd call them today and he couldn't break his word. If only he could not have done that with Duo…

---

The other three pilots were thrilled that they had a location. However, the fact that nothing else was dug up on the missing pilot didn't go over so well.

"What do you mean you found nothing?!" Wufei demanded, hitting his hand on the table.

"That's just it, Wufei," Quatre explained apologetically. "The census records on L2 are older than Duo. The only person on that colony who even had the name Maxwell was a priest."

"Did he participate in any sexual acts?" Heero immediately asked, receiving an uncharacteristic glare from Trowa.

"No, he didn't Heero."

"Where can he be found?"

"He's dead, Heero. He's been dead for over ten years. The anniversary of his church's destruction passed just a few days ago."

"Destruction?" Trowa asked.

"In After Colony 188, some rebels took over the church. The Alliance bombed it and killed everybody inside."

"Another dead end," Wufei commented.

"But 02 is on L2, correct 04?"

"There's no records saying he left."

"Then we're going to L2," Heero calmly stated as he stood up.

"You can't be serious Heero!" Quatre gasped.

The other three pilots raised their eyebrows as they looked at the blond Arabian.

"You guys haven't been to L2 before, have you?"

The pilots shook their heads in negation.

Quatre sighed. "I want you guys to listen to me carefully on this one. The streets of L2 are dangerous. People here on L4 comment on them."

"And what is this to us?" Wufei demanded.

"Back during the war when Oz tried to take L2, none of their tactics worked. That was a big reason why it was left alone for most of the war. The colonists there wouldn't cooperate. Even when the Alliance was still in power, they had difficulties using martial law on the L2 Colonists. All attempts to establish order there have failed."

"Meaning?"

"If you go there, you guys are going to be killed!"

"What about Duo?" Trowa asked softly.

"I don't know about Duo," Quatre replied. "But he did come from there and there is a chance he knows how to survive there."

"04, we're still going," Heero stated matter-of-factly.

"Fine. Just be careful. We've lost Duo. I don't want to lose any of you guys."

"As if we're going to get beaten by weak street punks," Wufei retorted.

"Goodbye, Quatre," Trowa said as he ended the call.

Quatre leaned back into his chair and rubbed his forehead. "Please come back safe," he whispered to himself.


	19. Proposition

Author's Note: Believe it or not, this is not the original version of this chapter. After going through it, I didn't like a large portion of it, so I deleted it and retyped it. This is what I got. I'm not going to say this isn't good or anything, because I'm not like that. It is what it is and there is nothing that can change that. So, without further ado, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Sap

Proposition

Nothing was held sacred…except for their hair.

In retaliation for the water balloon, Duo managed to find and hide all of Solo's private stash for a week. He could clearly remember the words Solo had said to him after a couple hours.

"Kid, that ain't cool. Give me back my porn!"

He would never forget that, even till the day he died.

But Solo wasn't one to take things. He got back at Duo by hiding all his clothes, even towels, and turned up the air conditioning. That wasn't a pleasurable experience and Duo made a deal for the return of his clothes in return for Solo's stash. And to add insult to injury, even though Solo did return the clothes, all of his shirts were tie-dyed. And damn it; he only looked good in black! That was hitting below the belt there.

For that, he put up an obscene background on Solo's computer, complete with animation and loud noises. That hadn't work as well as he had hoped. Instead, Solo came up to him with a big smile on his face and thanked him for the "lovely gift."

Okay, so that backfired. Now what? He ended up doing the unoriginal thing and shut off the hot water while Solo was in the shower. At least he was able to laugh his ass off as a wet Solo stomped down the stairs looking like a drowned rat. Perhaps the cold water did something to his head but Solo challenged him to another match in the gym. He lost, horribly. Duo enjoyed knocking Solo's ego down a few pegs.

And now, he was waiting for Solo reprisal. At least on the war standpoint, Solo was real quiet. Anything that wasn't related to the prank war was vocalized. He didn't mind the chatter, unlike certain (ungrateful!) pilots that he could think of. With everyday that passed, Duo grew more impatient. He wasn't nervous because what reason would Death have to be nervous about? None whatsoever!

However, by the time one week went by, he was at the point of tearing his hair out. What was Solo up to?! Why hadn't he retaliated already?! Finally, he decided to piss on waiting and confront the source itself.

"What are you up to Solo?" he demanded, barging into the blond's office.

"Don't you ever knock?!" Solo snarled.

Duo's face blushed a deep red and he exited, closing the door behind him and cutting off some interesting sounds emitted by the computer. He waited a few minutes, waiting for the blond to finish up before calling out, "You done?"

"What do you think?" was the muffled reply. "You killed the mood, man!"

Cautiously, he opened the door and tentatively looked in. Solo was glaring at him from his desk, looking disheveled.

"Well? What do you want?" Solo barked.

"I was going to ask you about when you were going to get back at me for turning off the hot water and kicking your ass," Duo said sheepishly. "What were you doing anyway?"

"You remember that background?"

"Yeah. Oh. OH. What the hell, Solo?"

"You got good tastes, Kid. It still turns me on."

"I'm not hearing this!" Duo exclaimed as he covered his ears.

"What? You shy? C'mon over here and I'll refresh your memory of what you put—"

"I know what I put up," Duo interrupted, hissing. "I can't believe you still have it!"

"Like I'm going to give up free porn."

"Solo! You sound like a pervert!"

"What gave you the first clue?" Solo drawled.

Duo growled at Solo's defiance. The blond grinned lazily back at him.

"Solo, what am I going to do with you?" Duo sighed, succumbing to Solo's "charm."

"Sleep with me?" Solo asked. "Do the horizontal hokey pokey? Wrestle Mommy and Daddy style? Go to sinner's paradise? Do what rabbits do best? (1) I'm dying here Kid!"

"Where the hell did you learn that stuff?" Duo asked, giving him a "what the hell?" look.

"Around," Solo replied.

"Is it something I don't need to know or want to know?"

"Probably both."

Duo groaned. The braided one thought it would be best for whatever sanity he had left to just change the topic. Still, how many ways were there to say "have sex?"

"What have you been up to?" he asked. "You've doing something for a week and it doesn't seem to be revenge so what is it?"

Solo sighed this time. "It's that time of the year, Kid. Halloween."

"Halloween?"

"You know, when kids dress up and go other houses asking for candy?"

"This is the first I've heard of it."

"Anyway," Solo continued, "it's the annual Halloween party for the 'rich and affluent.' They like coming over here and they love to give me misery by making me go down and talk with them. There are a lot of girls who want to get hitched with me as well."

"And this means what?"

"Don't make me hurt you Kid."

"As if you could!"

"Anyway," Solo said, getting back on track, "the kind of party I like to host has a bunch of kids coming over from a few orphanages. The party is suppose to be for the kids but those criminals out there want to come in here and hog up the candy for themselves."

"That's just not right."

"I know. Plus, they like to bring their daughters with them. They want a piece of my hotel and they figure that they can get a piece if I marry one of their daughters. Every year, it gets worse."

"What are you trying to say Solo?"

"Let's start from the beginning," Solo began. "I'm a person that likes to…try different things."

"Like what? Food?"

"Something like that. Anyway, you are the person I trust most."

"Okay…"

"Even though we've been apart…for what? Ten, eleven years? Despite that all and despite all that we've both been through, you are the one person I trust the most."

"Uh huh."

"Anyway, I think I'd like to…advance out relationship."

"Advance it?"

"I want to be more than a friend," Solo elaborated. "I want to be more than just a person who is letting ya—"

"You."

"—stay here out of charity."

"You want me to get a job or something?"

"Duo," Solo said. By the tone in which the blond used, Duo went quiet. Whenever Solo took this tone, he was usually serious about something. Years ago, he only used it if they were being followed by predators wanting to strip them of their virginities. He also used it when it came to food or which person in the gang would get what. Whatever he was about to say was going to be important. "I want to see if there is anything between us. I want to see if we can have something more than what we have with each other. I want to take our friendship, our relationship, to the next level."

If Duo's eyes could have gone wider, his eyes would have fallen out. "You want me…to be…your…_boyfriend_?!"

"I'm positive."

"But…are you even…?"

"Gay? I don't know and I don't care."

"But if you aren't then why the hell are you asking me this?"

"Because Duo, I love you," Solo stated, "and I don't mean it in a platonic fashion either."

"But you're like my brother…"

"And I love you as if you were my own flesh and blood," Solo interrupted. "However, I want to find out if my feelings for you are just something brothers have or if it is something different."

"But, it just doesn't seem right," Duo protested. "Like I said, you're like my brother. It would feel like incest."

"Would it?" Solo asked. "Can you give me any other reason why this wouldn't be a good idea?"

"What if it destroys the friendship we have?" Duo demanded.

"Not going to happen," Solo replied. "I don't want you out of my life again. Just think of it this way. We're just going to try it out for a while, to see what happens. If it works, then we've gained something. If it doesn't, what have we lost? At least we can say we _tried_ it. No regrets on what might have been."

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Duo asked, looking straight at the blond.

"You bet your ass."

Closing his eyes, the braided one debated. The room was filled with silence and tension as one waited for the other to decide while the other tried to decide.

"Alright," Duo said. "I'll give it a try. Just to see where we can go with this. But if I hear that you're using me, I'll make you regret the day you were born."

"Duo, if I was using you, I'll jump out that window over there right now and save us both some grief. I don't want to use you. You mean too much to me. I'm not like those others who ignored you when they didn't want you. I do want you here and I want to take care of you, just like the old times only better."

"Old times, huh?"

"Yeah, now come over here."

"Why?" Duo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"To take the next step. I want to hug you."

"Huh?"

"You heard me, get your skinny ass over here."

"And just when you were getting sappy," Duo commented but nonetheless walked over to the blond.

Solo easily embraced him. However, Duo didn't really know how a hug went but tried his best anyway, wrapping his arms around Solo.

"Solo? Am I doing this right?" he asked.

"Yep!" Solo answered, tightening his hold.

After a while of doing nothing but hugging, Duo had to ask, "Is there anything else you want to do?"

"Not now," Solo readily answered. "This is good for now. Don't want to rush you into anything."

"Whatever you say."

"I think this is enough for now," Solo finally said, releasing Duo. "Now go on and get out. I got work to do."

"Oh right, I understand," Duo grumbled. "You get your hug and now I don't mean anything, huh?" As he started to leave, he paused by the door and glanced back at Solo. "By the way, it's _have_, not got."

"Kid!" Solo exclaimed, exasperated, as Duo left. "Just you wait, Kid," he muttered to himself. "I'll get you back."

Those were the last words Solo spoke as he busied himself, plotting a revenge prank. All other work was left undone.


	20. Halloween

Author's Note: A thing or two from earlier chapters comes back into this one. If you don't understand a few things, reread the whole story by going back to the prologue. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or anything concerning Hugh Hefner and his Playboy bunnies.

Warning: Making you use your powers of memory, very suggestive costumes on females, fictional death scenes

Halloween

"I can't believe you're making me do this."

"But Kid, you look so pretty!"

"Solo. Don't make me hurt you."

Solo finished tying the silk belt around his silk robe and smirked. Oh yes, revenge was good. Duo should have never trusted him with choosing a costume. Payback for turning the hot water off on him was so sweet.

"Why do you get to be Hugh?"

"Cause I have the money, _bunny_."

"Solo, seriously, don't make me hurt you."

Solo examined his costume that consisted of silk pajamas, a silk robe, and slippers. He looked just like one Hugh Hefner, a great and glorious man from the twentieth century. But he had to admit, he looked much better. At least he wasn't _old_ and wrinkly.

"C'mon, my lovely Kid. You'll have a great time."

"Solo, I'm not going out there like this."

"Don't make me cut you off."

"I'm not getting anything! Besides, I look like a whore!"

"Not true. You should have been here last year. Those bitches were dressed skankier than that and I shudder to think what they'll be doing this year."

"But there's going to be kids here!"

"And they know more about the human body than most kids their age. They've probably seen more skin than what you're showing. Besides, I can guarantee that you won't be alone."

"Solo…"

"C'mon over here and look at yourself." Solo pulled a reluctant Duo over so the now-unbraided one could see himself.

Duo was dressed as what Solo called a "Playboy Bunny." He wore a strapless, one-piece bikini suit, his legs covered by dark pantyhose, a collar wrapped snugly around his neck complete with a bow tie, and last but not least, two floppy bunny ears were perched happily on his head. The one thing that Solo lamented was that Duo refused the high heels. So, he went for the next best thing, which were knee high leather boots. It was either that or the high heels. Guess which one Duo chose.

"You look smashing," Solo teased, grinning at the reflections.

A sudden click caused him to look down and pale. There on his wrist was a fuzzy handcuff, the other cuff securely fastened to Duo's wrist.

"If I have to suffer, then I'm taking you down with me," Duo grinned cheekily.

"Where did you find this, Kid?" Solo asked, dreading the answer.

"Your closet. You're such a naughty boy, aren't you Solo?"

"They're collector's items," Solo defended.

"Solo, there's a jar of expired chocolate sauce up there."

"Expired? Are you sure?"

"And I thought they were collector's items."

"I hate you Kid."

---

The two were assaulted by little kids, all dressed in Halloween costumes generously donated by none other than Solo himself. It seemed the blond knew them as he greeted many of them by name.

And then, one of the kids just happened to notice the handcuff.

"What's that?" the little girl asked, wide eyes looking straight up at Solo. The blond couldn't think of anything to say but fortunately, Duo intervened.

"Joke gone wrong."

The kids just nodded their heads in understanding and didn't comment further.

Solo stuck with the kids, probably because their presence was acting like a ward against the other guests. Duo knew that it was only a matter of time before Solo had to deal with them. If he recalled correctly from his time being one of Quatre's guests, it was rude of the host to not mingle. Solo caught his attention and pointed to a person among the adults.

It took Duo a bit but soon he figured who Solo was pointing out. It was a man of average height with combed black hair. Green eyes focused on one of the guests and the handsome features contorted as he laughed at what Duo assumed to be a joke. The man was dressed as a vampire except he didn't have the pointed teeth or pale make-up on.

"You know who that is, Kid?" Solo whispered.

Duo shook his head and waited for Solo to continue.

"You remember a few months ago, the Preventers busted up that drug ring on Earth? Well, he was the kingpin behind it. Looks to me as if he managed to get out of the Preventers' radar."

"What's his name?" Duo whispered, his eyes not leaving the man.

"His name is Markus Troy. Controls about three or four of the street gangs on L2. Made a lot of money through drug trafficking and distribution. Until the Preventers took it down, very lucrative. He's on the rebound now, just waiting for an opportunity."

"Lucrative? That's a big word."

"I know, tell me about it."

"Can we do something about him?" Duo asked quietly.

"No, not now. He's part of the L2 elite, so at the moment he's untouchable. However, if we were to leak it to the Preventers, it would be a matter of time before he was put behind bars."

"Scumbag," Duo muttered, glaring at the kingpin.

"They all are," Solo replied. "Don't you know? Behind every great fortune is a great crime. That goes for every person here, including me. Even the Winner Family at one time were nothing more than criminals. It's almost impossible nowadays to gather as much wealth as these people have. It had to come from somewhere, and it just so happens to be from the pockets of the poor."

"I'd like to make them suffer," Duo muttered.

"Wouldn't we all?"

Their conversation was put to a halt, as Solo's dreaded vultures/bitches descended on them. The presence of Duo seemed to stop them momentarily but they surged forward nonetheless.

Solo had been correct about the girls' choice of dress. All were dressed up either as sluts, whores, dominatrixes, and other sexual professions. A normal man would have gone hard at the sight and drooled. Solo wasn't a normal man. He had scene many of the "costumes" on the streets, and the sight didn't affect him. Those dressed as dominatirxes were attention getters, but the blond was not concerned. However, the ones dressed in Japanese school girl uniforms with the incredibly short skirts were tempting.

Duo was appalled at how _right_ Solo had been. All these girls were showing more skin than he was and he was dressed up as a damn Playboy bunny! The lust in their eyes as they threw themselves at Solo disgusted him. He lifted his cuffed hand, bringing Solo's up as well so that all nearby could see.

"Don't think so, girls. I got to him first," Duo announced, smirking. Solo blushed a deep red and adverted his eyes in embarrassment. Sure he wanted the Kid to save him from this fate but did he have to do it like this?

--- (1)

Duo's idea of protecting Solo hadn't been the best idea. The vultures gave murderous looks to Duo and contended his claim. Not being one to remain silent, Duo made a snappy comeback and it all went downhill from there. Security had to be called in to prevent an all-out brawl. Solo noticed that a few of the older, male orphans looked downcast but Solo knew that disappointment was anything but innocent.

It seemed even the younger generation enjoyed catfights.

As he forcefully led Duo away from the mob, he noticed that Duo held some hair in his hand. Blond hair to be precise. And Solo knew for a fact that nobody had pulled his hair out and Duo was brunette.

Damn, that could have gotten ugly.

Duo would have been foaming at the mouth if Solo hadn't introduced him to the buffet table. That was enough of a distraction so Solo could give a sigh of relief. Making sure that Duo didn't become a human vacuum and eat all the food, he forcefully led him back to the orphans for the rest of the party.

When it became time for the kids to leave (bedtime is a bitch), Solo claimed fatigue to the rest of his guests, and returned to his suite, dragging his date with him. After spending an hour of searching for the damned keys to the handcuffs, when they were finally released, Duo suggested they watch a movie. When Solo asked what kind, Duo simply replied, "A comedy."

---

The teenage idiot blond who had just had premarital sex screamed as the psycho killer decapitated her.

"I never get tired of that!" Duo crowed, stuffing popcorn into his mouth.

Watching the slasher flick continue, Solo spoke, "I bet a full body massage that the geeky kid is gutted next."

"You're on. I bet that it's the redhead. She's just _begging_ to get an ax to the head," Duo countered.

The sound of a head being crushed sounded from the surround sound stereo and Duo made an exclamation of victory.

"Damn it," Solo cursed light heartedly. "A cuddle right now says that the old man is next."

"Nope, it's the prick with the pick-up."

A cry of pain soon followed.

"I can't believe this," Duo stated as he watched the corpse of a dead old man being dragged away. A strong arm wrapped around him and pulled him up to a warm body. It was taking all the control Duo had not to lash out.

"This ain't so bad, is it Kid?" Solo asked, eyes glued to the television. Duo shook his head. It was actually kind of comfy. "Just relax, Kid. Lie your head back…that's right, get comfy, stay a while."

After a few more minutes of gorefest and screaming, idiotic teenagers, Duo finally spoke, "She trips in the hallway, in front of the door."

Sure enough, the blond heroine did. However, Solo spoke, "Doesn't get her. He gets shot."

A gun shot was heard and the psycho killer fell back. A few more gunshots and he was dead.

Stopping the movie because the next few minutes would be nothing but sap and that there was no final scare at the end, Solo asked, "So, do want to see something else?"

"How about a tragedy?" Duo suggested.

Getting up, Solo removed the DVD disk and put another one, getting back in his former position, pulling Duo close.

When the title of another horror movie showed up on the screen, Duo sighed. "Indeed a tragedy. A tragedy it was ever made."

"Want to make fake commentary?" Solo suggested.

"But of course," Duo replied.

* * *

(1) I would have put down what happened next but no matter what I did, I couldn't think of something good. So I'm skipping it and giving a brief summary. 


	21. Cream

Author's Note: I have been notified that I have a footnote in Chapter Nineteen that I didn't elaborate on. I'll take this time to do so. It was a thanks to ShadowMajin for helping with coming up with the multitudes of names to call the horizontal hokey pokey. Sorry I didn't catch that SM. Otherwise, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Shounen ai, suggestive themes, experimental beginning

Cream

Markus Troy was not a happy man.

First, somehow, the Preventers bust up his drug trafficking business on Earth. Miraculously, he was able to escape. There was only one place he could go to for sanctuary.

L2.

When one set foot on L2, he could disappear, vanish like a wisp of fog. It fortunate that he had come here since the Preventers were having a hard time tracking him down. Unfortunately, his business had been hit hard. Which led to the second thing that made him unhappy.

They were finding the other rings on the Colonies. Already the L1 and L4 rings had been disrupted and dissolved and it would only be a matter of time before the L3 ring was hit.

This was not good. If things kept up as they were at this rate, he was going to lose his niche in criminal Underworld. He would be damned if that happened. Already his criminal empire was beginning to fragment, bit by bit. His control over the gangs that he had was starting to become tenuous.

He had spent too much of his life to let this happen. He hadn't risen through the ranks of his old gang, threatening, blackmailing, even killing off the competition for it all to go down the drain now.

But now, something else had come up. Only a week or so ago, a bunch of thugs from one of the gangs he controlled had been taken down pretty hard. Gun shot wounds, knife wounds, one even had broken bones in his wrist and legs. They had all been found in the ruins of some bombed church. The law had taken its sweet time getting there. By then, a few of them had been near death. Because each was on the most wanted list at the time, they were all incarcerated. Fortunately for Troy, they knew to keep their mouths shut. He had people in the prisons and all it took was for one call and they would be as good as dead.

According to the story they told, they had been "attacked" by a guy with a braid, dressed in black. Even he knew that they had probably provoked the attack. However, there were no suspects, as usual, as of yet.

Was this an isolated incident or not? He certainly hoped so. He couldn't take any more losses, not at this point. His rule was becoming tenuous and he would need to remove the velvet glove and let his iron fist do the talking before he could even begin to look outside of L2 for business ventures.

He'd be back on Earth. He had come too far and done so much just to watch it all crumble away now. He wouldn't allow that to happen.

He wouldn't.

---

Solo wiped the sweat off his face as he exited the gym. He could see the Kid napping on the couch, sprawled out like a cat. It amused him for a bit before he heard the elevator open.

Seeing the package in Barney's hands, his heart began to pound in his chest. Accepting it, Solo hid in his study, opening the package, removing a much smaller box from within. Examining the box, he opened it and grinned at the object inside. It arrived, finally!

He had ordered this a while back. Now he would have to wait for the best time to unveil it. It would decide the future between him and the kid, of that he was positive. Grinning brightly, he shut it and placed it in one of his desk's drawers, right next to a thick scrapbook.

Once that had been accomplished, Solo placed the remains of the original package in the trash. Composing himself, he left the study, heading straight to the kid. Taking a detour into the kitchen and coming out with a can of whipped cream, he grinned evilly at the unaware kid.

The Kid was just lying there, his face a vision of innocence that Solo damn well knew that whatever the Kid was, he wasn't that. His hand was dangling over empty air, palm uncovered. He was just begging for it.

As carefully as he could, he filled the kid's hand with whipped cream and then maneuvered himself behind the couch so he could look down at his sleeping victim. Holding a piece of string, he lowered an end down until it touched the kid's face. Now here was the tricky part. Moving it as slowly as he could, he moved the string on the kid's face.

In his unconscious state, Duo swiped a hand at it. To Solo's disappointment, it was the other hand and not the correct one. Oh well, there was still time. Moving the string onto Duo's face, Solo continued, always jerking the string away at the last second, growing increasingly frustrated when Duo kept using his other hand. Solo was contemplating putting cream into Duo's other hand when the braided one swiped at the offending string with the correct hand, smearing whipped cream onto his face.

Solo almost crowed in triumph but managed to keep from laughing out loud. Solo pressed on, lightly tickling Duo's face, putting more cream into his hand every once in a while. As Duo's breathing began to change, Solo knew that fun time was up. Now he would have to flee for his life. He began to move away from the couch just as Duo began to groan upon gaining consciousness.

He felt weird. It was as if there was something on his face, something cool. Opening his eyes, he found that he had trouble seeing. He could still see a few things but most of his vision was white for some reason. Something else that was odd was that he felt something cool in his right hand. Using the pointer finger and thumb of his left hand, he cleared his vision.

Now that he could see better, he was able to see this white stuff in his right hand. A glance at his left hand showed his finger and thumb had the same stuff. Immediately using his left hand to feel his face, he felt more of the white stuff. Eyeing carefully, he tasted the stuff, automatically recognizing what it was. There was only one explanation for this.

"Solo!" he shouted as he jumped over the couch, already on a seek and destroy mission. Even though the blond had grown up on the streets of L2, his skills of stealth weren't as perfected as Duo's were. He was able to pick up on the blond's breathing quickly and pounded into the kitchen.

If Solo could have screamed like a girl and gotten away with it, now would have been the time. Seeing the look of fury that was under the mask of whipped cream, he could only stare in sheer terror at the visage before him.

_Was this how Oz felt before the kid killed them?_

With a snarl of rage, Duo leapt at him, leaping over the kitchen table that just happened to be in-between the two. While Solo didn't scream or shriek like a girl, he squealed like one before ducking and running. The blond was taking advantage of any corner he could use but Duo was steadily catching up.

He didn't dare go into any of the rooms because that would have spelled his doom. However, he soon found himself being herded into a guestroom, the one Duo was using to be precise.

Without warning, he felt one of his legs go stiff and he couldn't help but groan to himself as Duo pounced on him. Of all the times to go stiff, why'd it have to be now?

Gravity took hold of him as the sudden weight from his attacker caused him to loose his balance. However, Solo always had quick reflexes, an important survival trait on the streets. Hoping it would be enough, he used them to his advantage by twisting his body, causing them both to roll over. Before he knew it, he was on top of the kid and he was already grabbing hold of the kid's wrists to pin them.

Using his weight to his advantage, he pinned Duo down on his back, straddling his waist with hands pinned above his head. He had no doubt that if Duo was really serious, he could throw him off at anytime. He could only hope that the kid wasn't in too much of a bloodlust. He could only be grateful that he had continued exercising as the strength he had now seemed to be keeping Duo down. But it was only a miniscule hope and he hoped that it would at least slow him down.

At the moment, it seemed to be enough. Duo growled up at him, his eyes clouds of anger. Now how was he going to change that? An idea popped into his head and he decided to take full advantage of this position.

Upon seeing Solo's expression become mischievous, Duo was on guard. What was the blond up to now?

Then Solo's face began to draw near Duo's, causing the braided one to gulp. What was Solo…! The blond's tongue snaked out when he was mere inches from Duo's face. The tongue licked off some cream from his nose, bringing the morsel back up to Solo's mouth. Without any hesitation, Solo bent down further, giving the now clean spot a light kiss.

"Mmm," Solo murmured. "Kid flavor. Me likey."

If Duo was blushing, the cream was certainly hiding it now.

However, Solo didn't seem to be finished. He bent down again, this time planting his lips on Duo's. It was just an English kiss but when Solo lifted up, Duo could see some cream had left with those lips. Once again that tongue darted out, swiping the cream on those lips.

"Mmm. Kid flavored whipped cream. Much better."

Duo just stared wide-eyed at the blond.

"What's the matter Kid?" Solo drawled. "You look innocent, which I know you are _not_. Don't tell me you're still new to the kissing game?"

Duo continued to stare. Solo smiled sweetly, something very ominous as the blond had never smiled like that. Duo's suspicions were proven correct as Solo kissed him again, longer but still lip contact only.

"I'd do more," Solo whispered huskily, "but you have a mess on your face."

"Solo?" Duo breathed, sounding lost.

"Ya all right?" Solo asked, a frown on his face. "I didn't damage your fragile mind now, did I?"

"It's _you_," was all Duo said.

"Eh, perhaps not too much."

"Are you going to let me up now?" Duo whispered.

"Did I do something wrong?" Solo asked, worried. The blond did release him and that's when Duo struck.

Now the tables were turned and now Duo was restraining Solo now.

"You tricked me!" Solo accused.

"You're damn right," Duo drawled.

Smirking at the pinned blond, Duo bent down and took Solo's lips this time. It felt so right, now that he was actively instigating. It was still lip contact, but when Duo lifted, he couldn't help but smirk. He wasn't the only one with cream on his face now.

"Either you have rabies or you mastered the art of self-fellatio. If it's the latter, then can you teach me?"

Solo gaped at him. The look Solo was giving him clearly said "you didn't just say that." Duo grinned down at him and gave him a peck on the lips before getting off him and leaving the room. It was only when he was washing his face in the bathroom that he realized something.

He hadn't gotten back at Solo for making him dress as a Playboy Bunny and now the blond had gotten away with one of the oldest practical jokes in the books. No fucking way.

"Son of a bitch!"


	22. Seeking

Author's Note: I am feeling generous today, so I'm updating eariler than planned. Originally, I didn't plan on having this chapter. However, a certain review inspired me and voila. This chapter is dedicated to snowdragonct. For the rest of you, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Violence, death

Seeking

It had taken some time and effort, but the three pilots had managed to clear enough of their schedules and used their vacation times to finally go to the colony of L2.

To say that they were surprised at the condition of the colony was an understatement. The three were use to the cleanliness of the Earth and other Colonies. Sure, they had been to areas on Earth where poverty had been rampant but not as much as it was on this Colony. Just by stepping off of the shuttle to enter the shuttleport, they could tell that this place was different.

The first clue was the rust on the metal walls of the port itself.

The second was the sudden aura of despair and the sudden darkening of their surroundings. It wasn't a noticeable darkness, one more felt than seen.

None of them said a word. They didn't need to. Keeping their revulsion locked beneath masks of indifference, they strolled forward, duffel bags being the only luggage they had, into L2.

---

Markus Troy really hated the shuttleport. He hated the fact that he had to come down here and conduct "business." He had several shipments that he wanted to get off the colony but by some twist of fate, his cargo had been single out for "suspicious activity."

It was just one thing after another…

First the bust on Earth, then the subsequent busts on the other Colonies, and of course his ever diminishing control over his gangs. It looked as if the walls were closing in on him. And bribing some officials didn't seem to be working either.

He just happened to look away when three figures caught his eye. He knew them; they were those Preventers that busted his Earth operation! What the hell were they doing here? Were they on to him? Couldn't be; there was no way they could know his identity already.

But then why were they here? Were they here for something else? He had to excuse himself, saying that he needed to use the restrooms. His mind was swirling until he was able to latch onto the one thing that had kept him steady for years.

Revenge.

It had been like a parent to him, always keeping him stable, offering opportunity to improve himself, getting him to where he was today. Yes, revenge was needed. Those three had ruined him. Now to get back at them. But how?

How? What the hell was he thinking? This was L2! People got mugged for just having a slice of bread or looking at someone for too long. If they were attacked here, there was no way that it would be traced back to him. Another perfect crime.

Grinning to himself, he opened his cell phone and made a few calls…

---

Much to the pilots' disgruntlement, the interior of the Colony wasn't any better than the shuttleport. The only different being there was no rust.

There was hardly any traffic, vehicle-wise as well as people-wise. It seemed as if the place was uninhabited, the only hint of life being the groups loitering outside the port. As the three moved passed one group, one of the young men called for their attention.

"'aven't seen you guys 'round before. Ya new ta L2?"

Typically, the pilots ignored the young man, but he and his buddies were not going to be shrugged off easily. They casually followed after the three pilots, the spokesman continuing to talk to them.

"It real easy gettin' lost on L2. Ya lucky, we 'appen to know dis place like da back of our hands."

Stopping, Heero gave the young man a glance before speaking in his usual monotone. "Would you happen to know a Duo Maxwell?"

The young man seemed to think about this before answering. "Nope. Neve' heard of um."

"Then get lost," was Heero's reply as he turned and continued onward, Trowa and Wufei following.

"It ya funeral!" the young man yelled at them as the pilots went deeper into the poverty stricken Colony.

It didn't improve the further they went. In fact, it seemed to worsen every ten feet. This was where Duo went? How could he be in his right mind coming back here?

They passed few people as their eyes combed over everything, trying to find a hint of anything that might lead them to their missing pilot. Though most of the civilians ignored them, a few stopped to listen to them ask if they knew a Duo Maxwell only to get a negative response.

"It real easy ta disappear 'round 'ere," one passerby stated before turning away and going about his business. Despite these words, the pilots were determined to continue. They ignored their weariness as the "day" passed. The only place they stopped to rest was at a rubble-filled lot. Trowa kept giving the lot a strange look before he cornered a civilian, asking where they were.

"Dat's Maxwell Church," the civilian answered. "Wat's left of it."

Simply nodding, Trowa returned to the other two but continued into the ruins. Glancing at each other, Heero and Wufei followed. Stopping in the middle of the ruins, Trowa knelt down and began to speak. Neither Heero nor Wufei could understand any of it. Trowa's hands were pressed together, his eyes closed as he spoke the strange tongue fluently. He finished with the word, "Amen," before he stood back up and turned around.

"What was that?" Wufei asked, his curiosity stirred.

"What was what?" Trowa replied with his usual aloofness.

"That language you were speaking," Heero pressed.

"Latin," was Trowa's answer.

That explained a lot to the Japanese youth. During his tutelage under Dr. J, he had been taught to speak many languages fluently. Latin, however, wasn't one of them. According to Dr. J, Heero didn't need to learn how to speak a dead language.

"And what were you saying?" Wufei asked.

"I wasn't saying anything," Trowa answered. "It was a prayer."

"A prayer?"

"I'm Catholic," Trowa continued. "And next time, Heero, that you ask questions about a priest participating in sexual acts, I will kill you."

Heero simply nodded as Trowa disengaged from the ruins. They continued on without a word, mainly because there was no one else around to ask questions to.

Passing by a child sitting against a building, Wufei glanced down to see no movement coming from the small body. Leaning down to get the child's attention, he was surprised to see the child's eyes already glazed over in death. He stood back, glancing over to his comrades to see them watching him. He shook his in negation, gesturing to the child. Trowa looked at the small corpse in pity but Heero just turned and continued walking. Wufei frowned at this disregard and followed after.

Turning a corner, the trio was met with a group of gang members who were taking a stroll down the empty streets.

"Lookie 'ere," one spoke, grinning murderously. "We's got us some Outsiders. An' look, dey dun 'ave a escort. Ya know wat dat means boys."

"Step aside," Heero said, no emotion evident in his voice.

"Dun dink so," another answered as the group began to circle them.

"Weaklings," Wufei murmured to himself.

Before the gang thugs could get themselves into position, the three pilots attacked, using nothing but their hand-to-hand combat skills. The thugs were never given the opportunity to use their crude weapons because as soon as a pilot took one down, they took up the weapon and used it against them.

It took less than a minute before all the thugs were on the ground, moaning in pain.

Prepared to leave, Heero stopped in his tracks as he noticed other street thugs approaching them, seemingly coming out of the buildings like rats. Already they were turning into a mob, a mob intent on harming them in whatever way, shape, or form. Heero had pulled out his gun by then only to freeze as a few thugs leveled shotguns at him and his comrades.

"Looks like some Outsiders got ta learn dare place," one of the thugs drawled.

The three pilots' bodies tensed. They already figured out what this mob was about to do but they would be damned if they took it without a fight.

A thug struck at Heero first, a two-by-four slamming into the back of the pilot's neck. Heero grunted, but it was going to take more than that to take him down. He responded by firing a shot straight into the thug's groin. There was a high-pitch scream of pain as the thugs attacked Heero _en masse_. However, that seemed to hinder them more than help as maneuverability was limited. Heero, however, had had experience in such close quarters fights and could use it to his advantage, if only for a few minutes.

For Trowa, he just dodged the first blow, elbowing his attacker in the throat before kicking a precise kick at a second attacker. Moving with all the agility he could muster, he head butted another thug before the first blow struck him. He could handle the pain easily; he had endured worse. As was with Heero, the melee became a free-for-all and the banged youth took advantage of the limited space.

Wufei, on the other hand, struck out, landing as many blows as possible. He hadn't waited for the street thugs to attack first. He had instigated his own fight, surprising a few before the others tried to rush him.

Ultimately, the pilots' struggles were in vain as the mob of thugs gained the advantage by sheer numbers alone. Unlike Oz soldiers; whose attacks were coordinated and predictable, the thugs were the opposite, uncoordinated and unpredictable. Had there been less, then there would have been a different outcome. But it wasn't such a situation.

The thugs only stopped when their leader ordered them to stop. The leader checked their pulses, still finding them. Smiling, he stood up and yelled out to his gang.

"Take wat ya can off dem. Lets see if dey can survive naked."

The mob, or what was left of it, cheered and proceeded to rob the unconscious pilots. When the mob dispersed, three barely clothed Preventers laid on the specialized Colony concrete.

---

"Did you get them?" Troy asked.

"Kick dare asses," the gang leader answered, smirking.

Troy knew that it wasn't the case but he allowed the leader to delude himself. After all, it was the least he could do…

"So what do you plan on doing now?" Troy continued conversationally.

'Wat da fuck do ya's want ta know?" the leader demanded, eyes narrowing.

"No reason," Troy answered.

The silencer on the gun kept anyone from hearing the bullets being shot into the young man's body. The gang leader looked up at Troy in disbelief, the last expression he would ever make as Troy fired another bullet into his skull.

Looking down at the corpse, Troy spoke, "You have been a thorn in my side for too long. With you gone, your gang will be more pliable now. See ya in Hell."

With that, Troy turned around, chuckling to himself as he left a corpse in his wake.


	23. November

Author's Note: Okay, back to business. This is actually a bit of a filler chapter. However, it does help lead up to the next one, which will be a bombshell. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Shounen-ai

November

November was a peaceful time; that is unless you counted the outrage of the occupants. The prank war was not over, not by a long shot.

For the humiliation of dressing in that skimpy costume, Duo had used invisible ink and wrote on Solo's face, using his stash of sleeping pills once again to insure that the blond would not wake up prematurely.

That morning, Duo had begun to experiment on making lemonade. Curious by the braided one's sudden interest in the kitchen, Solo had hung about, helping out. Duo, so as not to rouse suspicion, used himself as a guinea pig to test out his beverage. Then he'd give Solo a drink to see what he thought. After much trial and error, Duo decided to call it quits.

Since Solo had messed up his usual morning rituals to help out, Duo offered to work out with him. It was an offer the blond took. Once they really started sweating, the fun, at least for Duo, really started. Due to drinking so much lemonade, the compounds within the yellow fruit mixed with the sweat glands. All that writing in invisible ink was start to show its beautiful self. Duo had to actively hold in his laughter so he wouldn't give himself away.

When they called it quits and Solo went up stairs to clean up, Duo took that opportunity to follow his motto just before he heard Solo bellow, "KID!"

Solo's counterattack was…frightening, to say the least. When he woke up the next morning, he found the source of his newest nightmares laying right next to him with a note. A note that read:

_Mine's Bigger_.

He had shrieked (a manly shriek) at the sight of the vibrator. He leapt out of the bed faster than he had run from Ozzies. His eyes never left the foreign object and Duo was just too terrified to get out of the room.

At least for the first 300 seconds.

After that, he had hauled ass out of there and found himself in the kitchen with Solo who was reading the paper casually. The blond looked up and observed Duo's state before saying, "You look like you've seen a ghost, Kid. Was it Casper again?"

Duo would not stand for this. So the next time he got a hold of the grocery list, he put down a few specific items that he knew Barney would know shouldn't be on there but would get anyway because the lug liked a practical joke being played.

When he got his materials, he had spent the day creating his newest prank. He managed to slip Solo another sleeping pill that night and when the blond was dead asleep, he got down to business.

Now it was morning and he was waiting for Solo to yell out at him. What he had done was simple. With the stuff he had added to the grocery list, he had worked with it until he created a type of glue that would only hold on for a few hours. Then he had proceeded to glue Solo to the ceiling, just above his bed.

Looking at the microwave clock, the glue should be wearing off about now…in five…four…three—

"KID!"

Okay, so he was off by a couple seconds. He was close, damn it! Oh well, time to run and hide again.

---

Solo kept track of the news articles of the outrage of the incident involving three Preventers being attacked down on the streets. Already, Earth politicians were swearing to fix up the L2 cluster, cracking down on the officials of the Colony a few days ago. The other Colonies had also begun to send in aid, a major contributor being a private citizen by the name of Quatre Raberba Winner.

As for the Preventer agents that had been attacked, the L2 government had tried to cover it up, but when a battalion of Preventers arrived, many of which knew all the loop holes and policies of the L2 bureaucrats, it didn't take long for them to cut through the bureaucratic red tape.

Solo already knew who were the ones attacked. The street rats that he fed helped out a lot with that. What were Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton, and Chang Wufei doing on L2 of all places?

Now Solo could have done one of two things. He could keep this a secret from the Kid or he could tell him about it. It was a tough decision on Solo's part. On one hand, these were the bastards that used and tossed Duo away when they didn't need him anymore. On the other hand, they were the Kid's war buddies. He had to have a connection with them. War buddies tend to develop such things and the Kid would most likely not be an exception.

So, he chose to tell him.

Duo had been upset at first. However, he didn't request to see them. They may have fought together in the wars and everything but it didn't give them the excuse to ignore him and scoff at his offers of service, at least according to Duo's logic. They didn't take time out of their days to visit with him so why should he do the same? He knew it was childish to do something like this but then again they had abused his trust.

One had to earn the trust of a L2 street rat first, then hold onto it for dear life. Once you lost that trust, it would take the apocalypse to get it back or if the street rat was in a forgiving mood, which was practically never.

However, something had to be done about this. Duo wanted to know all the details of the attack. While one would find it nearly impossible to find information, Solo wasn't a normal person. He had contacts on the streets. These contacts were none other than the orphans and street rats that he fed. From them, they learned which gang was the culprit. It was discerning to find out that the gang was one of those under Markus Troy's control. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough proof to put any sort of suspicion on the man and he had yet to be identified as the fugitive kingpin by the Preventers.

There was really nothing they could do, short of Duo making a bloodbath out of it. While the chances of Duo being arrested were slim, it wasn't a chance Solo wanted to take with the sudden security forces patrolling about.

Hell, it was getting more difficult for the street rats and orphans to steal food even.

Other than that, and the hope that some good would come out of all this for L2, it was a quiet month. However, a holiday was coming up soon, one that Solo was anticipating. It would be that day when he would do it.

He could only hope that things worked out. But in the meantime, it was time to take another step in their relationship.

"You want to what?" Duo asked, aghast.

"You hear me, Kid. I think it's time we shared a bed."

"You can't be…" Duo trailed off.

Solo sighed. "Duo, I'm not asking ya—"

"_You_."

"—you to sleep or do the nasty with me. I'm just asking you to sleep in the same bed with me. Maybe cuddle a bit. That's it. No _masse_. You get me?"

Duo ponder this for a bit before asking, "Whose bed?"

"Mine."

Duo's eyes narrowed. "You're not going to use any of those…things you have in your closet on me while I'm sleeping, are you?"

"They're collector's items," Solo defended.

"You keep telling your self that," Duo countered. "There's enough lube in there to fix all the squeaky hinges in the building."

"Really? I'm going to have ta—"

"_To_."

"—to take a look at that."

"While you're at it, can you please tell me why you have a peacock feather in there?"

"I could show you," Solo hinted, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Down boy!" Duo commanded.

---

This was it. After staying up late, watching a marathon of action movies, it was time. Duo was a bit a nervous. He hoped he didn't do anything, stupid or lethal, that might either hurt their relationship or hurt Solo, physically speaking.

Until this moment, Duo had never shared a bed before, at least after his training as a Gundam pilot. On the streets, orphans would have to huddle up together for warmth and ever since he had first left L2, he hadn't had the need to be that close physically to anybody.

Then he recalled his first night here. Since he hadn't screwed up then, perhaps nothing would happen now.

Duo waited, sitting on the bed, as Solo closed his bedroom door. The only light came from a lamp on the nightstand next to the bed. Solo, lifted the covers and crawled in, the bed shifting.

"C'mon Kid," Solo urged, "I'm not gonna bite…hard…"

"Ha ha ha," Duo muttered as he got in under the covers.

The bed shifted again as Solo reached out to turn the light off. Instantly, the room was plunged into darkness. Duo wasn't afraid of the dark. He had used it as a weapon during the war. It was just an old friend, nothing to worry about. He felt an arm snake around him and gently pulled him into a warm body.

"That's better," Solo murmured.

"Solo? What are you doing?" Duo asked, anxious.

"Cuddling," Solo replied. "We've done it before, only this time on a mattress. I'm not gonna do anything to hurt you. Just relax…"

Duo snuggled back into the body behind him and he had to admit, it was pretty comfortable. And warm. Definitely warm. He could definitely get used to this.

His breathing evened out and his eyelids drooped. Before he knew it, he was deep in slumber.


	24. Thanksgiving

Author's Note: This is it, what you've been waiting for. To date, this is my longest chapter and I have put a lot of work into it. I'm taking a gamble here, so please, don't hold back and tell me what you think. Brownie points goes to whoever guesses what happens in the next chapter. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Shounen-ai

Thanksgiving

Ah yes, it was that time of year again. Just another day Americans used as an excuse to stay home and do absolutely nothing but eat. That was Duo's kind of holiday. Back at the Maxwell Church, Thanksgiving was one of the few holidays that the orphanage was able to provide a more than decent meal for.

This year was different, mainly because Solo was making the meal. The blond had banned Duo from setting foot in the kitchen, so he could "concentrate" without there being too much of a loss of limb.

The turkey was fabulous but Duo would be damned if a leg was taken off of it in the preparation stages.

According to Solo, the blond had difficulty with making the Thanksgiving meal, so much so, he would end up just snacking for the whole day. The hotel was practically vacant, so he usually let the staff off for the day. So that meant there weren't any cooks around.

However, he usually had multiple turkey dinners made the day previous. Duo wondered why he did that and ate none of it himself until he learned that the dinners were for the kids living out on the streets who just happened to be nearby.

Since he was banned from the kitchen, Duo took up residence in the living room, clothed only in a black t-shirt and sweatpants, watching a sports game. It wasn't live, just a recorded game, but Duo hadn't seen it yet so it was new to him.

It was a soccer game, or football as the rest of the world called it. The American sport of football was one that he had never gotten into. It was long and boring, in his opinion, only seconds of action at a time. At least in soccer, the action was constant. Plus, he had always heard that soccer players had high endurance…

…for all the running about. What else?

He didn't know who the teams were. He just rooted for the black team. Hey, they had good fashion sense. Besides, black was his favorite color. Those pansies in the yellow didn't stand a chance…

Okay, okay, the yellow team was up by two points. Geez. It was only the first half…

Oh wait. It's over? Son of a bitch! What the hell? The black team should have won! Oh well, there was always next time.

"Solo!" Duo whined aloud. "Are you done yet?"

"Hold yer horses, Kid! This isn't a fast food joint!"

"It should be," Duo muttered to himself before speaking out loud, "And it's not 'yer,' it's 'your.'"

"Kid, do you want to eat or not?"

Grumbling to himself as he sat back into the couch and crossing his arms, he pouted in vain, knowing Solo couldn't see him. A pout could only work if there was somebody to see it. Then the patented Bambi Eyes© would be implemented and then score!

The smells coming from the kitchen were slowly beginning to torture the braided one. It seemed as if Solo would succeed this year. Damn it, this was not cool! He'd rather be "interrogated" by Oz than endure this a second longer. Wait, was that mashed potatoes with garlic? And those buttery rolls that were golden brown with crackling crust? And was that the turkey, baked with whatever liquids turkeys were usually baked in that he had seen once on the television?

"Solo!" he whined. "Is there anything I can do?"

There was no response from the kitchen for a few minutes. "Sure there is."

"What?" Duo asked, perking up.

"Can you go to the liquor cabinet and pull out a bottle of wine?"

Duo frowned. "Alcohol? I thought you didn't buy that stuff."

"I don't," Solo replied. "People keep giving it to me. I kept a few, just in case I had company. The rest I put into the rest of the hotel's alcohol supply."

"And you want to drink some why?"

"Special occasion, Kid," Solo answered. "This is our first proper Thanksgiving. Besides, I heard that mixing turkey with wine puts you to sleep. I want to try that out."

"You can't be serious," Duo spoke. "This is how alcoholism starts. First it's a special occasion, then it's because every one else is doing it, then the next thing you know you're stumbling around, drunk on your ass, beating your wife and making the kids cry."

This time, Solo made an appearance, the blond dressed in sweatpants and a black tank top. "Don't you think I know that Kid? We saw plenty of that on the streets. Trust me, I only drink any of that stuff on rare occasions. No kid, this is the first time I have made a Thanksgiving dinner right and I want to celebrate that fact. We'll only have a glass each and dump the rest if we have to. Okay?"

"Fine," Duo relented. He'd take Solo's word for it for now as he went to obtain the requested wine bottle.

At last being granted access to the kitchen, Duo paused as he took in the wonderful smells.

"You got the bottle Kid?"

"_Have_," Duo corrected. "And yes, I do."

"Then put it on the table already. Unless you plan on having an orgasm right there…"

"That's the plan," Duo countered.

"Then do it in the bathroom Kid. I don't want to clean up after you."

"Fine, fine," Duo grumbled as he sat down at the table. He waited a few minutes, enjoying the delicious aromas around him. Then, one by one, Solo began placing the feast before him, the turkey being the last. At this point, Duo's mouth was watering.

Setting two wine glasses down, Solo opened the wine bottle and served the beverage, filling the glasses halfway. "Care to do the honors?" Solo asked as he sat down.

Knowing what Solo meant, Duo bowed his head, his hands clasping together. It took him a minute to remember the prayer that he learned at the Maxwell Church. Speaking slowly as he tried to say the prayer word for word, Duo couldn't help but feel his emotions welling up inside him, threatening to burst out of him. He concluded with an "Amen," which Solo repeated as was required. Composing himself, he looked up at Solo as the blond picked up his wine glass.

"What are you thankful for, Duo?" Solo asked, looking intently into the braided one's violet eyes.

Duo paused as he pondered that. After a minute, he picked up his glass and looked Solo directly in his eyes. "I am thankful that you're alive. That we're here, about to eat what I hope looks like a delicious feast. What about you?"

"Me?" Solo took on a thoughtful expression. "Well, I'm thankful that _you_ are alive Kid; that we're right here, right now, about to dig in to my first Thanksgiving dinner that I haven't screwed up, at least that I think I haven't screwed up."

"Anything else?" Duo cut in.

Solo paused before answering, "Can't think of anything right now."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" Duo stated, grinning. "Let's dig in."

"Lets," Solo replied, clinking his glass with Duo's.

---

Solo glanced at Duo who was lounging on the couch, eyes closed, in the living room.

The dinner had gone on without a hitch, and much to the blond's relief, the food hadn't been screwed up. Oh that had been good. However, he couldn't take his time enjoying the food as the braided one was practically inhaling it. There had been some leftovers, of course, but so miniscule that nobody could use it practically. Much to his displeasure, he had to throw it out.

He had insisted that he clean the tableware, something Duo hadn't argued with. Solo began to wonder if he hadn't gotten the short end of that one…

But that didn't matter now. His heart was pounding in his chest at the thought of the enormity of what he was to do. The outcome could only go two ways. He could only hope that it was the most favored one of the two.

He walked through the living room, heading for his study. So far, so good. Closing the door, he went straight to his desk and opened a drawer, removing a small box. Looking inside it to be sure that it was still there, he snapped it shut.

Then he began to take deep breaths as he tried to compose himself. This was only the Kid, he wasn't like any one those bastards who considered themselves L2's elite. They had seen and grown up with so much crap…it couldn't be too bad, could it? No, there was no way he or the Kid would allow this to split them apart. They had been gone from each other's lives for too long to let even the magnitude of this split them apart.

God, this was so much harder than he thought. A couple months ago, he could have done this with both hands tied behind his back, blindfolded, and balancing a vibrator on his nose…it was a collector's item, damn it! Okay, okay, so he may have used it a few times…several…fine damn it, he used it a lot before the Kid arrived. What did you want from him? A man had to do what a man had to do.

Shaking his head at this sudden turn in thoughts, Solo grinned to himself. He was just blowing this out of proportion. All he needed to do was go out there and do it. Funny how a vibrator could put so much into perspective…

Cursing the fact that sweatpants had no pockets, he did his best to use his hand to hide the small box. He strolled back into the living room, noticing that the kid hadn't moved an inch. Okay, he could do this.

He sat down next to the kid, tucking the small box between him and the couch cushion. So far, so good. Duo leaned against him upon noticing his warmth and the blond couldn't help but place an arm around the braided one's shoulders. Smiling indulgently, Solo leaned down and planted a small kiss on Duo's forehead, Duo snuggling closer to him being his reward.

"Have I ever told you that you're the best cook I've ever had," Duo asked, not opening his eyes.

"This is a first," Solo replied, before leaning down to kiss Duo's forehead again. However, Duo tilted his head at the last second, thus Solo ended up kissing Duo's lips instead. Moving back, Solo caught Duo smiling cheekily at him, eyes half-opened.

Well, it was now or never.

"Hey Duo?" Solo asked, already anxious.

"Yeah?"

Now how should he go about it? Saying it bluntly didn't seem right. But what if he said something stupid? Oh why did he have to be so horrible when it came to small talk? Oh fuck it, he'd just go with whatever he came out with first. Taking a deep breath and getting a large dose of Duo's scent, he said the first words he could think of.

"You know I think you're the most beautiful thing in the world, right?" Solo internally winced. Of all the things to say, he had to say the stupidest thing.

Duo's response was not what he expected. "Yep."

"Huh?"

"You talk in your sleep sometimes," Duo explained, giving Solo a teasing look. "You have quite the imagination, you know?"

Solo blushed a deep red. Okay, he didn't expect that. Okay, just go with the flow. "Eh, what do I say?"

"Well, besides saying I'm beautiful," Duo began, ticking off each point. "You say you want me; I taste real good; oh and my personal favorite: _oh God you're so tight_. (1)"

Solo's face reddened with each one. Oh, he remembered those dreams alright. But that last one…that had been one for the record books. And Duo heard him? Oh crap.

"I think I can guess what was going on," Duo finished, grinning madly at him.

Solo couldn't speak for a few minutes, out of embarrassment. That grin wasn't helping matters either. Okay, he had to come up with a snappy comeback for that. Must come up with one!

"This coming from the guy who wants to know how to do self-fellatio?" Solo came up with.

"What guy doesn't want to know how to do that?" Duo countered, smugly.

He had a point. Okay, new game plan.

"Lets start over," Solo said. "You know I care for you, right?"

"Solo," Duo sighed, "just get to the point."

Okay, the Kid just gave him a way out. But he wasn't going to take it. This couldn't be rushed. "No, just let me say what I want to say," Solo said, taking a deep breath. "You know I love you right?"

"Yes," Duo sighed. "But you also know I love you too. What are you getting at?"

"Well, I thought about this for a while," Solo continued, heart pounding in his chest. "And I want to keep you here with me, forever."

"And I'm not going to leave, Solo."

Sighing, Solo pressed on. "As I said, I've been thinking about this for quite some time and I think…now is the time to ask you something."

"What?"

This was it. Solo got up, doing his best to keep the small box out of sight, and got down to his knees in front of Duo. Raising an eyebrow, Duo sat up straighter, looking down at the blond. Solo took one last deep breath and crossed the point of no return. Revealing the small box to the braided one and opening it to a wide-eyed Duo. (2)

"Duo Maxwell, will you marry me?"

Duo stated at Solo, stunned. His eyes looked into the little box held open in the blond's hands. There sat a gold engagement ring, just waiting to be picked up. Duo's violet eyes looked back at Solo's green ones, seeing the seriousness in them.

This…this was a lot to think about. He'd had only been here with Solo for what? Three months? And they'd been boyfriends for maybe less than one and already he was proposing? But then again, they already knew each other and didn't really have to build their relationship from the ground up. But was Solo jumping the gun here?

"Are you sure about this?" Duo asked, unsure.

"Positive," Solo answered with conviction.

"Don't you think this might be rushing?"

"I don't care," Solo replied. "I want you to be a part of my life. If you don't want this, that's fine, at least I can say I tried."

"But aren't I already part of your life?"

"Let me rephrase that. I want you to be more than just a part. I want it to be where I can't tell where one ends and where the other begins."

"Can't I think about this?"

"I'm not going anywhere. Take as long as you want."

Duo closed his eyes, focusing on this dilemma. He knew Solo was sincere, he didn't do things halfway. He either did it or not at all. But why him? Why Duo Maxwell? Why not some of those at the Halloween party—never mind, Solo hated those vultures with a passion and plus they had horrible fashion tastes. But there still remained the question, why him? Solo could have anyone and yet he wanted him. Then again, they did both know each other like no one else did or could. They were alike, already had a strong foundation. Why not? There was nothing holding him back. Solo wasn't proposing to somebody like Relena Peacecraft or some other princess like that. He was asking _him_, Duo Maxwell, if he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, not as a friend but as a spouse. Did he have anything to do? No. Did he have anybody else he wanted to be with? At one time, perhaps, but that was long gone and over with. Solo was offering him everything that he had always wanted, things he could never take for granted. So why the Hell not? He had nothing holding him back. This was _his_ life. There were no doctors telling him what to do, or suicidal pilots forcing him to do things he didn't want to do. It was time for _him_ to really take control of his life because someone had finally given him a choice.

Opening his violet eyes, a little surprised to see Solo still in the same position, he gave the blond his answer.

"Yes."

The expression of pure joy on Solo's face was reward enough. Just as soon as he had put the ring on his finger, Solo enveloped him in a massive hug, holding him tightly to his torso. Oh yeah, he made the right choice. This felt _so_ right. Hugging back, Duo could barely hold back the tears of happiness threatening to leak from his eyes.

At long last, he had a home. At long last, he was going to be part of a family. At long last, he had someone who would love him unconditionally, who didn't care who or what he was as long as he was simply himself.

Then, Solo pulled back just enough so that he could claim Duo's lips in a bruising kiss. Duo reciprocated, kissing back with all he was worth. Without warning, Solo's tongue slipped into his mouth and he couldn't help but groan into it. This was so good! Why the hell hadn't they tried it sooner? Duo battled with his own pink muscle, successfully invading the blond's mouth and commenced plundering it.

Once they broke off for air, Duo rested his head on Solo's shoulder, his mouth close to the blond's ear. He whispered to him, Solo pulling back, eyes wide.

"You sure you want to?"

"Positive," Duo answered, echoing Solo from what only seemed moments before.

"Well, alright," Solo said. "Anything you want. Lets just…take this some place else."

"Lets," Duo said, grinning lecherously as he pulled the blond from the couch and towards the stairs.

* * *

(1) No, he's not saying Duo's cool. You're right on the money, Perverts of the World United.

(2) You do not know how much I wanted to end it here.


	25. Lemon

Author's Note: Okay, last chapter went pretty well. However, I am updating early again, mainly because I am attention starved and feel the need to have my ego stroked. Anyway, this is it, what all you fangirls have been waiting for, dieing for, to read. I now introduce the lemon, and I'm not talking about the fruit. What? You thought I wasn't going to go this far? Think again. I intend to go wherever this fic allows me to go. So, go do whatever it is you gotta do, sit down, enjoy your front row seat, and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: yaoi, lemon, all those who are not suppose to be here or don't want to be here, leave now or forever hold your peace

Lemon

Solo closed and locked the door behind him. There was really no need to do that but there was a sense of sacredness about this and not just anyone should get to see it.

Then he felt Duo press up behind him, arms wrapping around his torso. He noticed that one of Duo's hands held a suspiciously familiar bottle of lube. Sending the braided one a questioning look, Duo answered simply, "closet."

Just as he was about to protest with "it's a collector's item," Duo began leaving kisses on the back of his neck. Grinning, he twisted around in Duo's embrace, his own arms wrapping around Duo.

"Impatient, aren't we?" Solo teased as he gave his captive a kiss.

"I don't know what to do," Duo confessed as soon as their lips parted.

"I have an idea of what to do," Solo admitted as he looked into Duo's eyes.

"Really?"

"A guy's gotta do his research. Ya never know when you're gonna need it," Solo said.

Duo was about to correct his grammar again but stopped. Now wasn't the time. "Show me," he said instead.

Solo raised an eyebrow. "You know that means you'll be bottom, right?"

"Hey, you're the expert," Duo countered. "If we were talking about how to fix a Mobile Suit, then it'd be an entirely different matter."

"You have a point," Solo conceded. "But I want to know something first…"

"What?"

"Why'd you get that lube out of my closet?"

"Um, spur of the moment?"

"Are you lying to me Kid?"

"Well," Duo began, looking uncomfortable, "I have heard about the…stuff with the ass before. I just thought better safe than sorry…"

"Duo," Solo said. "I am not going to hurt you." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I don't ever want to hurt you. If you're afraid, tell me now, please. I don't want to force you into something you're not ready for…"

"Solo," Duo interrupted. "Shut up for a moment. I trust you. You know that. You're the only person I'd trust my life with. We're stuck together, you're not gonna get rid of me and I'm not getting rid of you. We're going to get hitched. You got that? The only thing we're going to have to worry about is the next psycho killer that always gets the guys who have premarital sex. Now show me why those idiots are always moaning!"

"You really want to do this?" Solo asked.

"Positive," Duo stated.

"Well, then," Solo began. "First, I want to see you without the braid."

"Sure," Duo replied.

Solo gingerly took hold of the rope of hair and removed the elastic band. His fingers combed through the chestnut locks as he undid the braid, marveling at Duo's growing beauty.

Whistling, he commented, "You really are quite the looker, aren't ya?"

"Thanks," Duo said, his cheeks blushing. Looking up into Solo's green eyes, he said, "My turn." Before the blond could question this, Duo's hands were already undoing the pony tail he kept his hair in.

"You aren't so bad yourself," Duo said as he ran his hands through the blond locks.

Smiling indulgently at him, Solo snaked his hands around to Duo's butt, gripping a cheek with each gently, and picking the unbraided one up. Squeaking, Duo's legs instinctively clutched Solo's waist as the blond chuckled.

"Relax, Kid," Solo spoke into his ear. "I'll take good care of ya."

Unable to hold it back any longer, he had to say, "It's _you_."

Chuckling, Solo carried him over to the bed where he sat him down gently.

"That's got to come off," the blond said, eyeing Duo's shirt.

"Then take it off," Duo challenged.

Solo slipped his hands under the fabric, sliding it up Duo's body. Duo raised his arms up so that the shirt would be easier to remove. It was at this point that Solo regretted undoing the braid. As tenderly as he could, he moved the long chestnut hair through the shirt, careful not to snag it. Once that obstacle was passed, he tossed the shirt away carelessly and began to run his hands around Duo's torso.

Duo's eyes were closed as he let Solo do his stuff and soon found that he wanted more. He tugged at Solo's tank top, trying to get the blond to remove it. Understanding, Solo stepped back and took it off, tossing it away just like the shirt previous.

Then he pushed Duo back gently until the brunette was laying down on the bed. Solo crawled on top and rested his body on top of Duo's, his head hovering over the other's.

"This all right?" Solo questioned as he stroked Duo's cheek with a gentle hand.

Duo simply nodded, his eyes staring up into green ones, awaiting the blond's next move.

"You'll tell me if you're uncomfortable, right?" Solo pressed.

Duo simply nodded.

Smiling tenderly at Duo, Solo leaned in, claiming Duo's lips with his own hungry ones. His tongue caressed Duo's lips, coaxing them to part. Succeeding, his tongue dived into that moist cavern where it proceeded to obtain dominance over its inhabitant. Its opponent wasn't going to back down easily as it fought for its territory, ultimately having to submit.

Pulling back, Solo commented, "Didn't know you were that good, Kid. Sure you haven't been practicing?"

"The only practice I get is with you," Duo retorted. "Why'd you stop anyway?"

"I spoil you too much."

"Damn right. Now spoil me some more."

Not having the heart to disappoint, Solo resumed, mouth attacking mouth, his hands caressing Duo's naked torso. He felt a growing bulge against his thigh and he easily held back a chuckle. Excited, wasn't he? He lowered a hand to that part of Duo's body and gently massaged it.

In response, Duo let out a moan, which Solo took as another opportunity to plunder. With his other hand, he caressed one of Duo's nipples, switching to the other one once it had hardened.

Those moans were starting to get to him now. He could feel his groin throbbing, begging for some sort of attention. He abandoned Duo's bulge, receiving a groan of protest. He cut it off as he began to grind their bulges together, turning that groan to a moan. He swallowed the moans with aggressive kisses, falling into a flow that seemed instinctive. He felt Duo's hands on him, clutching at his skin as he continued to grind. Pressure was building down below, growing every second.

Solo felt Duo's body tensed beneath him as he heard him moan as orgasm overtook him. It was enough to send him over the edge as well. He groaned as he felt heat release in his groan. He was panting as he came down from the high when he felt the wetness down below. He had a pretty good idea what that was.

"Wow," Duo gasped out. Looking up into the blond's eyes he asked, "Does it always feel like that?" Solo had to admit, Duo looked like a kid in a toy store with the expression he had on his face.

"No idea," he admitted. "However, from what I've heard from my porno collection, it gets better."

"I don't even want to know how much you have," Duo muttered.

"Let's just say that there's a lot more that you don't know about."

"Is there anything else?" Duo interrupted, hoping to turn the conversation to something else.

"Let me think," Solo answered as he began to mock-think. Without a warning, he said simply, "Take off your pants."

"Huh?"

"If you're worried, I'm gonna take mine off as well. You won't be alone."

"Alright," Duo sighed. He made to take hold of his pants but Solo's hands beat him to it.

"Let me," was all Solo did. Shrugging, he withdrew his hands. Solo pulled both Duo's sweatpants and boxers, lifting Duo's legs up as he went. Once the garments were removed, one of which was stained, Solo eyed Duo appraisingly. "You really grew up beautiful, Kid."

"Your turn," Duo urged, fidgeting nervously.

"Patience, lil' Kid," Solo replied but nonetheless took hold of his own pants. As he drew his sweats and boxers down, it was Duo's turn to appraise. The moment Solo stood, completely nude, Duo had to admit that the sight was amazing.

"Beautiful," he murmured.

Solo smiled at him as he climbed back atop of him. The skin to skin contact was something else. Now that the sweatpants weren't there to block some of it, Duo couldn't help but try to touch as much skin contact as possible. Solo kissed him tenderly, also trying to increase skin contact. Solo soon turned his attention to Duo's throat as he planted as many kisses there as possible.

Soon, Duo became aware of a hand wrapping around his member. He shivered as he was stroked and he began to squirm as he hardened again.

"You like that, don't ya," Solo commented as he pulled his mouth back. Duo felt Solo change from gently stroking to a firm pumping movement. Oh God, where did Solo learn how to do this? "I see you like that more," Solo spoke. "If you like this, you're gonna love _this_."

"Huh? What—" Duo questioned, his mind muddled. He hadn't realized that Solo had moved down his body until he felt something hot and wet encompass himself. Glancing down, he couldn't help but watch in fascination as Solo's head bobbed up and down, his hardened organ disappearing in and reappearing from that moist cavern.

He cried out as orgasm took over his body again. Solo continued to coax him for more until he settled down again, panting for air. Solo's head picked itself up, looking at Duo like he was the cat that got the canary. Solo climb back up and gave him a deep kiss, allowing him to taste himself.

"You liked that, didn't you?" Solo said as he cupped Duo's cheek, thumb stroking.

"Mmmmm,' was the only noise he made.

Then Solo hesitated. "Kid, there's one other thing but do you want to go through with it?"

Duo simply nodded, not having the energy to speak at the moment.

"You sure?" Solo pressed. With another positive answer, Solo reached for the tube of lube. Opening it, he put a generous amount on his fingers and lowered them down to Duo's entrance. "You ready?" Solo questioned.

When Duo gave the affirmative, Solo teased the opening with a lubed finger before sliding it in. Duo gave a groan and Solo pushed his finger in and out, trying to loosen up the muscles. After a couple of minutes, he slipped a second finger which was soon followed by a third. As he prepared Duo, the brunette gave out a sudden cry of pleasure as Solo's fingers brushed against his prostate.

"I think you're ready," Solo commented as he removed his fingers, receiving a groan of protest. "Patience, Duo. Just a few seconds more…" He squeezed out another generous amount of lube and applied to his hardened self, spreading it around before he took up the position, hovering at Duo's entrance. "Ready?"

Duo nodded and Solo took it as his queue to push in. Duo groan as Solo slid in slowly until he was completely buried inside the ex-pilot. Solo could never have anticipated the sensation he was receiving; the tightness of Duo and the heat that surrounding him. He remained still until he felt Duo move beneath him, trying to get friction.

Acting out of instinct, he pulled out and thrust back in, Duo moaning his encouragement to continue. And Solo wasn't one to disappoint as he repeated the action until he had created a rhythm. Pressing himself as close as he could to Duo, to started kissing Duo again as he continued to thrust in and out.

"Faster…" Duo moaned out. Now how could he ignore something like that? He picked up his pace, his thrusts speeding up, becoming harder with its force. Solo reached down and took hold of Duo's hardened length and began to pump it in time with his thrusts.

This was it. This is what heaven must feel like. Solo was feeling more than just physical satisfaction at this point. There was something else, something more emotional, more psychological. He didn't understand what it was but he could have cared less. Duo was enjoying himself and that was all that mattered.

"Solo!" Duo cried out as he climaxed, his fluids erupting into Solo's hand. The walls closed around him and he could only thrust a couple more times before he climaxed, pumping it all into Duo as he cried out, "Duo!"

And then it was over. Solo pulled out and collapsed next to his newly-claimed Duo. He cleaned his hand up but licking it clean before he tucked both himself and Duo under the covers. Duo automatically cuddled up to him and Solo wrapped his arms around him.

And that was the last he remembered as he slipped into an exhausted slumber.


	26. Glow

Author's Note: Once again, I am updating early just because I feel like it. What to say about this chapter? Besides the fact that it's shorter than my past few chapters, nothing much, just the afterglow. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: philosophical stuff and the like

Glow

Warm.

That was the only word he could use to describe how he felt.

When awareness had come back to him, he had found himself comfortable warm, cuddling a source of heat next to him. As sleep slowly left his mind, he began to feel the arms that wrapped around him. Cracking his eyes open, he found that his head was resting on a bare chest that lifted up every time the owner inhaled.

Opening his eyes fully, Duo took his surroundings.

He learned that the source of heat that was keeping him warm was none other than Solo. He learned that both of them were naked, his head cushioned by Solo's chest, the blond's arms wrapped securely around him. And this didn't bother him at all. It felt so…so…right for some reason. He couldn't explain it. He doubted the Perfect Soldier could apply logic to how he was feeling right now.

Okay, so what went on last night? There was that first bit…that had been exciting…then that next part, oh that had been fantastic...and that last part…what words could describe that? Something else had occurred during that…something more than just physical satisfaction…even though there was quite a bit of that.

But what could it be? He was confused now. For most of his life, all he knew was death, either witnessing it or dealing it out. There had been a time when he enjoyed slicing apart Mobile Suits when he was in the cockpit of Deathscythe. There had been a time when he talked about destroying a military base as if he was commenting on the weather. Hell, the thought alone of enacting his revenge against the Alliance was enough to excite him.

But now…things had changed. He didn't know when or how this had come about. When did he change? He knew sometime before Solo, definitely. But what about after? Had he changed any after he had moved in…or had he just…become the person he had used to be before the God of Death? And when had he started to become so philosophical?

"Quarter for your thoughts, Kid."

Shifting his head up, he made contact with contented green eyes. He felt a hand begin to stroke his long hair, as if he were some sort of pet, not that he minded. It was as if Solo was just inviting him to let loose his inner turmoil.

"Something's different," he confessed, unsure how to proceed any further.

Solo raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I don't know," Duo admitted as he looked into those green eyes as if seeking some answer. "I just…feel as if something's different. That I'm different. I don't quite feel the same like I did yesterday and yet I know I'm still me."

"I see," Solo said, shifting as he got more comfortable. "So you felt it too, huh?"

"You mean…you feel different too?"

"Not in those words but close," Solo explained. "I feel more…complete, if you know what I mean. Like I'd been missin' something."

"_Missing_," Duo corrected, "and what did you feel you were missing?"

"I don't know," Solo admitted. "But doesn't it matter? Are you happy?"

"Happy?" Duo blinked confused. "Well…yeah."

"Then that's all that matters," Solo stated as he embraced Duo tighter. "You don't feel any worse for wear, right?"

"Now that you mention it, my ass is a bit sore."

"Besides that."

"Damn, do you think I can sit down? Or even walk right?"

"Focus," Solo commanded. "Now, besides your ass, do you feel as if something is wrong?"

"No."

"My point exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"Kid," Solo sighed. "Let me put it this way. Do you regret last night?"

"No."

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes? And?"

"And you feel good, and there's nothing wrong?"

"Yeah."

"And that's all that matters," Solo concluded. "Stop trying to rationalize everything. There are just some things that can't be explained. So you feel different. You're still you. Nothing can change that."

"So this isn't a bad thing?"

Solo chuckled and planted a kiss on Duo's forehead. "Nope! Nothing wrong at all. Now, I hate to do this but we're gonna have to get up. You know, breakfast."

"Don't wanna move," Duo whined, burying his head into Solo's chest.

"I know where you're coming from but we have to. Need food."

"So your stomach is more important, huh?"

"Well, if you want me to stick around, then I need to eat."

"Fine," Duo sighed melodramatically. "But don't come crying to me once you feed it and it cheats on you with your large intestine."

"What's a large intestine?"

"I'll tell you later."

---

Finishing up with making the last waffle, Solo took a look at Duo, who was positively beaming.

"Any brighter Kid, and there won't be 'night' on L2 anymore."

"Ha ha ha, just give me my waffles," Duo grumbled, though that post-sex glow didn't diminish. They really went hand-in-hand together. Perhaps they should have sex more often, Solo mused.

Besides, he was just as tight as his dreams…

Cut that thought short please. Not the time to be a pervert. Though, what if he…

Extending his foot, he attempted to play footsy with his Duo. Duo's response wasn't like all the other times. This time, Duo lifted his head up from his breakfast and raised an eyebrow.

"Back to this, huh?" Duo asked. He became a blur as he pushed his chair back and vaulted over the table, knocking a surprised Solo, chair and all, to the floor without ruining breakfast. Solo could only stare up at Duo in a daze as the braided one grinned cheekily at him before claiming his lips. Pulling back, Duo drawled, "You should know better than to try that again."

"I do now," Solo responded as he came back to grip with reality. "If this is how you're going to act with me flirting, I might just have to stop."

Duo gave him a look of mock-horror. "Don't do that! How else are you going to spend the day?"

"Working, like every other middle class American."

"But you hardly work at all!"

"You have a point. I guess I'll just work all day."

"You know, I have a better idea. Why don't we go take a dip in the hot tub?"

"Why?"

"You remember what happened last time?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's see what would've happened if I hadn't stopped."

That was an interesting proposition. What should he do? Hmm… What the hell was he doing thinking about it? It should be obvious what he should choose.

"Indeed," he replied. "Why don't we?"


	27. Business

Author's Note: As much as I would love to continue with the sap, I'm afraid we have to go back to the drama, suspense, angst, whatever else you can call it. What exactly is going to happen? Well, you'll find out all too soon. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: see Author's Note

Business

Three wonderful weeks had passed since that Thanksgiving Day and now it was December, the last month of the year. It was that time again to start preparing for the next year early, thus Solo had to leave the wonderful presence of Duo.

Sometimes he wished he still lived on the streets. It was so much simpler.

Well, there was nothing he could do about it now. He had to attend to business, which required him to dress formally, something he despised. Duo had wolf-whistled at him though, so it had to count for something.

God, he wished that these things would hurry up. He wanted to get back to his Duo!

It was mid-afternoon when he was able to escape. He leaned against the wall near the front desk, as he tried to regain his composure. What the hell was he thinking getting rich? It just didn't seem worth it sometimes…

"Solo?"

Looking up to the front desk clerk, he gave a winning smile and answered, "What's up, Lars?"

"A Mr. Troy requests some of your time," the man answered, wiping sweat from his brow. "He mentioned something about a business venture."

Solo's expression did a 180. He frowned now. "Where is he?"

"In conference room 1D," Lars answered.

"Okay, I'll take care of this," Solo told the man. "Just…take a breather, okay? You look like you need it."

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and started at a brisk pace, his mood sour. This was just great; what did that scumbag want with him? Wasn't it enough that he forced thousands, if not tens of thousands of people into poverty and misery? Why the hell was he trying to plant some here?

Entering the conference room, he closed the door, crossed his arms, and glared at the man sitting at the oblong table. Troy simply gave him a charming smile and stood up, holding out his hand in greeting. Solo made no move to accept.

"Mr. Solo, we meet at last," Troy began, withdrawing his hand.

"What do you want, Troy?" Solo demanded, not bothering to go through simple pleasantries.

"Straight to the point, aren't you?" Troy questioned.

"Why waste time with pointless chatter when something can be said simple and quickly?" Solo countered. "My time is just as valuable as yours, so cut the crap."

Troy laughed. "My, my, my, very straightforward. I like that in a man. I guess I can skip traditional etiquette and 'cut the crap' as you so bluntly put it. I want to propose a business interest to you."

"For what?" Solo questioned, eyes narrowing.

"As you already know, the Earth government has decided to 'fix' L2. They're cracking down on everything with that force of Preventers they sent here."

"Which is your fault."

Troy blinked. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't bullshit me Troy," Solo snarled. "I know all about that attack on the Preventer agents. I know you were involved."

"So what if I was," Troy shrugged. "It means nothing in the whole scheme of things. They'll never pin it on me and I have the perfect alibi."

Already Solo was getting exasperated with this. "Just tell me what you want Troy. I have better things to do."

"Very well. I need a place to hide my…consumer goods…"

"Your drugs, you mean."

"Correct. I need a place to put my drugs and I have found out that this building would be the perfect place. The Preventers would never think to check here, especially with its fantastic reputation. I am willing to give you a part of the profits in exchange for you lending me your storage services."

Solo frowned, pissed beyond pissed. How dare this man assume he would go along with this? He knew the effects of Troy's business and there was no way in hell he was going to get involved with it. It was against his every moral and everything he stood for.

"I refuse," he stated to the shocked kingpin. "Now get out. I have other more important business to attend to."

"Oh, you'll accept," Troy stated, smiling wickedly. "I didn't want to do this, but if you refuse me, I guess you're going to have to relocate your business to other parts."

"Do what you will," Solo sneered. "I survived on the streets once before. I can do it again."

"Point taken," Troy conceded and turned to leave. He paused at the door and spoke, "Of course, it would be a shame if all those orphans had to lose their lives…"

Solo paled. "You wouldn't."

"I would," Troy stated, turning around to face Solo, facial expression dead serious. "Don't think I haven't noticed all those functions you hold with all those parentless pests. You think I care what happens to those brats? They can burn along with those orphanages and the churches that offer them sanctuary from the streets."

"Don't do this. Please," Solo begged.

"You know you can save them," Troy replied. "Just house my drugs. I make money; you get to keep those wretched brats alive. It's a win-win situation we have here."

"You're a fucking bastard," Solo snarled.

"Yes, but I'm the 'fucking bastard' that's rich," Troy replied. "Tell you what, this is a big decision. I'll give you some time to think about it. You can tell me your decision at the New Year's party you'll be hosting. Make the right the decision, and we will all have a happy new year."

Troy laughed at his own joke as he left, closing the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, Solo slammed his fist into the table, barely feeling the pain shoot from it. That dirty, fucking, rotten bastard! How dare he do this! How could he do this? Those kids hadn't done anything to him and yet here he was threatening to kill them all if Solo didn't agree to his proposal. He knew where this would lead. If he accepted, sure he'd keep the kids alive, only for them to later get addicted to Troy's drugs and send themselves to an early grave. No matter what he chose, Troy would still end up killing them anyway. It was only a win-win for Troy, but for Solo, it was a lose-lose.

How could he face Duo now? There was no way he could tell Duo this. Things had just started to look good for him, after so many years of hardships. Solo would be damned if anything happened to destroy that. They were getting married for Christ's sake! This was the time for them to be happy and carefree, something they both had been searching for since they were kids! And now this…

But didn't he have about a week or so to decide? Wait a minute, was he actually considering this? No…he was becoming just like the rest of the L2 elite, oh this was just perfect. He couldn't be more disgusted with himself. The one thing he swore never to become.

Everything he had worked for was going to go down the drain. It wasn't fair! He actually _worked_ to get here, honestly and legitly. He didn't force others into misery and suffering. He gave back to the community, even using money from his own pockets. Why did this have to happen? Why him? Why now?

He didn't have long. He'd needed to come to a decision. He had a little time, but that was it. What could he do?

Would Duo understand? Could he help? Maybe…hopefully…but he couldn't get him involved. No way. He just…couldn't…

Just a few minutes ago, life was so uncomplicated, so simple. Why couldn't have stayed that way?

Why?


	28. Confrontation

Author's Note: I see I have you worried. To tell you all the truth, it's exactly what I was hoping for. Now, we get to see what's going to happen. Since I'm not good at doing intense angst (yet), I'm skipping ahead a bit so you don't have to witness the cliché crap that happens in this type of situation. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: See Author's Note

Confrontation

The past week or so, right on through Christmas had been tense.

Duo couldn't figure it out. Why had caused this change? Why did it seem as if Solo was hiding something from him? The blond was being evasive, no matter what he did to try and wring the information out of him.

Was it because he was regretting proposing? Had Solo's feelings towards him changed?

At this rate, he was going to have a coronary. And yet Solo just wouldn't say anything. He had even begun to notice the ferocity that entered into Solo's work-outs. He definitely was pissed about something. Could it be something involving the business? If so, then why hadn't he said anything? It couldn't be anything bad, could it?

This was so infuriating. Duo knew he couldn't let this go on. If Solo didn't tell him voluntarily and soon, then he would have to resort to other methods. One of the things he had learned when training to become a Gundam pilot was the art of interrogation. He had the qualifications needed to get such training. Heero and Trowa were too emotionless and wouldn't know when to stop. Wufei was too confined by strict social laws and rules to stoop down to such a level. Quatre was just…Quatre. There was no way he could go through with interrogation without pitying the person being interrogated. Only Duo had seen enough and known how low humanity could go. It was invaluable whenever he got prisoners, though few and in-between. It also helped to get him through the Oz interrogations as well. He had perfected his art, not only on the interrogated, but he had even tried a few of his tricks on the other pilots, though they never found out when he was doing so.

Solo didn't stand a chance against such knowledge; however it wasn't something he wanted to practice on him. Fortunately, he had memorized the formula for one of G's various truth serums. One way or another, Duo would get him to talk.

Currently, Solo was busy in a work-out so Duo knew where to find him. He caught the blond doing overtime on the punching bag. Good, right where he wanted him. He strolled forward, his stride purposeful as he approached Solo. He didn't have the need to compose himself or take in a few deep breaths. He already knew his battle plan and he knew how he was going to implement it.

He started off by grabbing one of Solo's wrists.

This startled and confused the blond. "Kid? What are you doing?"

"We need to talk, Solo," Duo stated.

Damn. The four scariest words ever strung together in the English language. This was not good. "About what?"

"Something's wrong. I can tell. Don't try to brush me off this time because it's not going to work. I want to know, Solo. I need to know. I want to help."

"It's complicated," Solo said as he tried to free himself from Duo's grip. Duo just tightened his hold. "Duo, let go of me," Solo growled.

"Talk first."

Then Solo made a mistake. He flung a fist at Duo. Duo caught it and flipped the blond onto his back. Before Solo could orient himself, Duo straddled his waist and pinned his arms to the floor.

"Get off me, Duo," Solo growled.

"Not until you spill your guts," Duo calmly stated, giving every indication that he wasn't going to move. Solo began to squirm and struggle beneath him but Duo remained determined, not letting the blond gain an inch. As Solo's struggles began to subside, Duo spoke, "I'm not letting you up before you tell me what's wrong. We can stay here all day if you want."

"Duo…" Solo breathed but turned his head aside.

"Is it me?" Duo asked, anxiety overwhelming him.

"No, God, it isn't," Solo spoke, rushing to cut that trail of thought off. "There's nothing about you that would make me upset."

"Then what is it?" Duo persisted.

"Nothing you should be concerned about."

At this point, Duo was tempted to beat some sense into the blond.

"Solo," he began, "whatever concerns you, concerns me. I want to help but I can't if you don't talk to me. Please, Solo. Tell me."

"I don't deserve you," Solo sighed. His green eyes then bored into Duo's violet. "You really want to know?"

"What have I been saying for the past few minutes?" Duo countered.

Solo sighed again before he spoke. "Something happened last week, when I was at those meetings…"

"Go on."

"Markus Troy decided to pay a visit, wanted to invite me into a 'business venture.' He wants to hide his drugs here before distributing them because of the increased presence of the Preventers."

"You didn't take it, did you?"

"That's just the thing. Troy's dead set on this. I told him to get out but then he threatened to…"

"To do what? Tell me Solo!"

"He's gonna destroy the orphanages if I don't agree. He'll destroy them with the kids inside, he told me himself," Solo confessed, everything coming out in a rush. "I can't let him do that but I don't want to help him either. I don't know what to do Duo."

Duo stared down at his friend before releasing his wrists and embracing the blond. "So _that's_ it? That's what's been bothering you?"

Solo nodded, embracing Duo back. He didn't trust his voice to not crack.

It made sense now. Solo would be upset by anything that he, Duo, did. Even after all those pranks he pulled on him, Solo hadn't done more than yell and do revenge pranks. But what Troy was doing…it was despicable. He had seen it before, heard of such things happening before on other places besides L2.

Such a situation was presented to Relena Peacecraft by Duke Dermail when he forced her to become a symbol for Romafellor. Trant had done it to him when he wanted to use him as a guinea pig for the Zero system. White Fang had tried the same thing but he had had a way out that time. Hell, he'd even put Heero in the position when he had been a prisoner on Fortress Barge.

But this was a tough one. If Solo agreed, he would become an accomplice of Troy if the man was caught. If he refused, then hundreds, if not thousands, of orphans would be massacred. Either way, no matter what Solo chose, he would lose.

No, he wouldn't let this happen. He was a Gundam pilot. He had saved the world from Oz, White Fang, and the Barton Foundation. Markus Troy was nothing compared to those organizations. There had to be a way to turn the tables against Troy; use his own arrogance against him, play him for a fool. But how?

"Did he tell you not to tell anybody?" Duo asked suddenly.

"He didn't have too," Solo answered. "He more than likely has an eye out on me, watching what I'm doing so that I don't betray him."

"What about me?" Duo asked. "Does he know about me?"

Solo frowned as he thought about it. "No, he never said anything about you. He might not know about you. But he was at the Halloween party. He had to have seen you and me handcuffed together."

"The only people who knew about the handcuffs were the kids and the slut. The kids because they paid attention and the sluts because I showed it to them. The sluts had formed a practical wall; he probably didn't see you and me together."

"Maybe," Solo conceded, "but we can't assume that. Why are you thinking about that?"

"Because, if he doesn't know I'm staying here with you, then there might be a way to do something about this." Duo smiled cheekily at Solo, giving him a chaste kiss.

"Oh, and what's that?" Solo asked archly.

"I'm a Gundam pilot, remember Solo? I've been in tougher situations than this. I have resources he doesn't know about. I know people."

"And that means squat. He's part of the L2 elite. Untouchable no matter what they do."

"But Solo, he's given you the opportunity to get caught."

"Huh?" Solo replied, confused.

"I think I know what to do but first, did you agree to his plan?"

"He gave me till the party on New Year's Eve."

"Perfect."

"What are you planning, Kid?"

Duo grinned maniacally down at Solo. He bent down and began whispering conspiratorially into Solo's ear.

---

Oh, how he hated dressing up.

If there was one thing that Solo hated about holidays, it was the parties that he had to attend in formal dress. At least on the bright side, all those parties were held here. However, this New Year's party was going to be quite different from the past ones. To emphasize the changes that the Earth and Colonies government swore to do, many outside officials were attending. He wouldn't be surrounded by the L2 elite this time.

Plus, Duo was coming down with him. His braided love had experience with such crowds and knew what to do. That was when he came across his only obstacle thus far.

"What do you mean I need a last name?" he asked.

"The guys coming here won't be satisfied with just your first name," Duo explained. "The L2 elite is one thing. Off of L2, it's another."

"So what do I do?"

"Just pick a name off the top of your head. It can be anything you want."

Solo frowned as he started thinking. What was a good last name? For some reason, Dumpster didn't seem to cut it and there was already somebody with that name in the L2 elite. Okay, what else? Oh, this was so much harder than he thought! What would impress these dignitaries anyway?

Wait…well, there was an answer. He just had to run it by Duo first to see if it was okay.

"What about Maxwell?"

Duo raised an eyebrow. "That's my last name, Solo."

"But we're getting hitched aren't we? And don't married folk share a last name?"

"You have a point, but Solo, I have to warn you, some of these guys may recognize the name and link you to me. Now, I don't care if they find out I'm here, but what if it gets you into trouble?"

"Kid, I think you're forgetting who my first cousin is."

"Oh, is that the reason why you want to use it?"

"No, it's a good name. A very good name. It belonged to a man who was a saint on this colony and it belongs to you. Why would I not want to have it?"

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Duo smiled. "Then allow me to have the pleasure of being the first to call you Solo Maxwell."

"And you have it," Solo responded before taking hold of Duo and giving him a kiss.

Yeah, that had been sweet. And now, in a few minutes or so, he would be introducing the world to his name now. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. But Duo would be there and he'd keep him from getting into too much trouble, right?

"Ready?" Duo asked as he put an arm around Solo's shoulders.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he answered, giving Duo a peck on the lips.

"Then let's go and terrify the masses," Duo said with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

---

It was crowded, more crowded than usual.

Sure, he was used to crowds; how could he not? But there were a lot more wealthy folk here now. People who had more wealth than those on L2. You could tell which ones were of L2 due to the fact they were all looking at the outsiders with envious looks. Sure, they were rich here, but these Outsiders made them look like paupers.

Solo couldn't help but smile to himself at the turnaround.

At first it had just been him and Duo, a small island in a sea of wealth. However, Duo left Solo to fend for himself with the excuse that he would go fetch them something to drink. Now he was all alone; him against the masses.

Turning, he almost bumped into a small, blond woman. He managed to catch himself in time and was treated to the look of surprise on the woman's face.

"Sorry, almost didn't see you there," Solo apologized, smiling sheepishly.

"I wasn't looking where I was going," the woman replied. "The fault is all mine. Who would you be?"

"My name is Solo," he answered.

"Solo?" she asked, waiting for him to continue.

He flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry about that. Maxwell. Solo Maxwell."

"Maxwell?" The woman's eyes narrowed speculatively. "You don't look like him…"

"What are you talking about?" Solo asked, confused at the woman's reaction.

"Do forgive me, you reminded me of someone else," the woman apologized, looking sheepish. "Oh, and I've been rude; I haven't told you my name yet."

"I'm a bit more understanding than some of the folk here," Solo said.

"Indeed you are," the woman replied before she introduced herself. "My name is Relena Dorlain Peacecraft, but you may call me Relena."


	29. Greetings

Author's Note: Alright, part two of the New Year's Party. What do you expect what happens? Most likely the last thing you expect. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Can't think of anything

Greetings

"Peacecraft? Wait, you're that princess, aren't ya?"

"I'm no longer queen," Relena said, smiling amusedly. "That was a long time ago and Romafellor is long gone. I'm the Vice Foreign Minister now."

"Still, ya look like a princess," Solo argued.

"Perhaps," Relena conceded but immediately changed the subject. "But, do happen to know a Duo Maxwell? You have the same last name; are you perhaps a relative of his?"

Solo struggled not to give himself away. Oh, he knew all about Relena, at least what Duo told him. However, from this encounter alone, he could tell this woman was smarter than the airhead descriptions Duo had given him. He didn't want to give Duo away unless Duo wanted to show himself, so he'd stall for a bit.

"I've heard of the Gundam pilot, Duo Maxwell," he answered. "Perhaps you could give me a description?"

"Well, I only met him perhaps two or three times," Relena admitted. "Let me think…I know he has a long braid of hair, almost as long as your hair. He's a brunette, has unusual violet eyes, likes to dress in black."

"Hmm, that sounds like the wanted pictures I've seen of him," Solo said. "But I can't really be sure who you're talking about. There's a lot of people on L2 who are brunettes and like to dress in black. Do you think he cut the braid off, maybe?"

"I…don't know," Relena admitted, looking as if the possibility hadn't even occurred to her.

"I'll have to ask the Kid if he knows anything about this," Solo mused.

"Kid?"

"A friend of mine. He came in a few months ago."

"Really…" Relena was starting to look a little uncomfortable at this point, for what reason, Solo couldn't fathom. These Earth people were strange… Relena's eyes scanned the crowd around them and gleamed when they settled on a certain individual. "Can you wait right here?" she asked. "I'd like for you to meet a friend of mine."

"Sure."

Relena disappeared in the crowd and Solo couldn't help but feel lonely for a couple minutes beyond Relena returned, dragging a blond man with her.

"Here he is!" Relena chirped cheerfully, stopping in front of Solo.

"Who is this?" the blond man asked, confused. Solo couldn't help but feel the same.

"Solo, I would like for you to meet Quatre Winner," Relena introduced. "Quatre, this is Solo Maxwell."

"Maxwell?" Quatre's aqua eyes widened as he examined the taller blond. Solo didn't know if his eyes were deceiving him but it seemed after a minute the other blond's shoulders sagged a bit, as if in disappointment.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Solo asked, a little nervous, knowing full well who this person in front of him was.

"No, it's nothing," Quatre sighed. "It's just…I have…or had a friend whose name was Maxwell. He disappeared a few months ago and no one has been able to find him since."

"Why'd he leave?"

"It's a long story," Quatre answered.

"Do you have anywhere else you need to be?"

"Well…no…"

"Then what would it hurt? You can tell me."

"Alright," Quatre sighed, his voice melancholy. "His name was Duo Maxwell, and he was one of the best friends I ever had. We were both—"

"Gundam pilots?" Solo asked, enjoying the look of surprise on Quatre's face.

"Yes…how did you know that?"

"I heard about him when he had been captured during the wars.'

Eyeing him suspiciously, Quatre continued, "Anyway, after the wars ended, we kinda went our separate ways. Duo joined the Preventers with the rest of the other pilots while I took over the family business. I was so swamped with work that I didn't have time to do anything else. I even forgot to sleep sometimes, even eat. I stopped taking calls a while back so I could concentrate on the business.

"When I had finally started to get some free time, I kinda spent it by myself. One day, I remembered that Duo once told me about this sport called baseball. I managed to get some tickets and clear enough of my schedule so I could take off and take Duo to one of these games. By that time, Duo was gone. I ended up giving the tickets to a couple that could use them.

"I tried to find him, to try and talk with him but no matter what I did, I couldn't find him."

"Did you even talk with him after you took over your company?" Solo asked.

"No, not really. The only person I've really kept in contact with was Trowa. I sort of forgot the others. It was a stupid thing to do."

"You're damn right it was stupid," Solo stated, surprising the blond. If Quatre thought he could gain some sympathy from him, he was sadly mistaken. So what if he was busy running the family business? If you didn't have time to do something, you made time. Compared to what Duo was receiving before he came here, he was drowning Duo in attention. He did that _and_ managed to run this business.

"W-what?" Quatre asked, startled.

"You're Quatre Winner, pilot 04 of the Gundam Sandrock, the strategist of the pilots. You have unlimited resources at your disposal, a private army at your beck and call, and an enormous family of twenty-nine sisters. You practically have a Colony following after you blindly and you couldn't find one person to take up your duties so that you just have a five minute conversation with Duo? Your priorities are screwed up. I bet you think it's your fault there's no air in space."

Quatre's mind took this all in but it was the last statement that caught his attention. The only person who said anything remotely close to that was Duo. Was it a coincidence that this man's last name was Maxwell and his first was Solo? Solo and Duo…there definitely had to be a connection.

"What did you say?" Quatre asked, eyes narrowing. Relena, long forgotten, looked between the two blonds, wondering what this portended.

"What? That you think it's your fault there's no air in space?"

"Where did you hear that?" Quatre asked.

"That's a good question," Solo replied. "I think I'll have to ask the Kid about that. I think you said something like that once, didn't ya?"

"It's _you_, Solo."

Quatre froze. He knew that voice! But it couldn't be…could it? He spun around and came face to face with the object of his searches. And there he stood; the one and only Duo Maxwell. The braided brunette was smirking at him, holding two plastic cups in his hands.

He was speechless. He didn't need to look back to know that Relena probably was as shocked as he was. Duo walked around him, coming up to Solo's side and handing him one of the plastic cups. Solo smiled gratefully at Duo before drinking the cold beverage.

"D-Duo?" Quatre stuttered. "Is that really…?"

"In the flesh," Duo replied, not taking his eyes off Solo. He didn't need to know that the blond was close to tears. He could tell by Quatre's voice.

"How long have you…?"

"Before you started talking to Solo," he answered, now turning his eyes to Quatre. "So tell me, what's an important guy like you doing in a place like this?"

"I should be asking that question," Quatre countered.

"Solo owns it. This building belongs to him," Duo answered. "And you didn't answer _my_ question. Oh wait, let me guess. You came here because of the stuff happening on L2, didn't you?"

Quatre didn't have to answer that. It was just as Duo said. He would have wanted to come to find Duo but it was too dangerous here for him to look on the streets, even with the increase in law enforcement. Many of the street gangs had banned together to try to repel the "Invaders" as they had termed them. In fact, he had been inside an escort of Preventers the entire time he had been here, outside of the party.

But he could tell from the bitterness in Duo voice that he wasn't happy to see him. He couldn't blame him for that. But what could he do to try and repair the damage? They had been friends during the war, closer than the other pilots until Trowa had been found with amnesia. He was willing to do anything to try and regain Duo's confidence, get his friendship back. Nothing was too good or too much.

"Hey, Duo," Solo said. "I'm going to go get a refill. You want anything?"

"Nah. You go on ahead. I'll hold up the fort here," Duo replied, leaning up and giving the blond a chaste kiss. Solo lingered before leaving. However, Quatre could tell that Solo's exit had been a polite way of giving them space. He was grateful for that. Now he could try to talk to Duo and see if anything could be done to salvage their friendship.

---

That had been tense.

Solo was still high-strung. There were definitely things the Kid had to do with Quatre. Whether he'd take the Arabian back or tell him to fuck off, Solo would leave that to him. Duo was a grown man; it was his decision.

Getting to the refreshment table, he had just reached the punch bowl when he was intercepted by the last person he wanted to see.

"Have you come to a decision?" Troy asked from behind, looking casual.

Oh how he despised that man! To think he was asking Solo whether or not he wanted to spare many orphans' lives as if he was mentioning the weather! Oh how much he wanted to take the punch bowl and drown Troy in it.

Unfortunately, he couldn't. At least, not without drawing a scene. He refilled his cup and downed the liquid before filling it up again. He turned to Troy, who was watching him steadily for his answer.

This was it.

"Yes, I accept your proposal."

---

Why was it so hard to stay mad at Quatre? Was it because he looked like a kid most of the time? Or did he inspire natural pity all on his own? Duo didn't know but he just couldn't hold a grudge against the guy.

After pitying the blond, who by then looked liked a hurt puppy, and nobody wanted to see that, Duo couldn't help it. That did by no means absolve him. He'd have to prove to him first…again that he could be trusted again. So, in order to divert Quatre's attention to something else, he mentioned the Earth's sudden interest in L2's state. Ah yes, political debate. Nothing could divert the Arabian's attention better than that.

Quatre was in the mindset that the aid coming to L2 was beneficial and would turn it around. Duo, naturally, disagreed. He was the expert on L2 here; he knew what he was talking about.

So, he pointed out the L2 elite, explaining to him how they made their livelihoods. The blond was appalled. He told Duo that he should turn them in. He responded that even if he did, they'd get off anyway. They covered their tracks well, knew how to use the legal system.

If he said it once, he'd say it again, the laws of the Earth and Colonies were just words and letters on L2. They were more worthless than the filth on the colony and the residences had even found a use for _that_.

He couldn't help but enjoy Quatre's look of horror when he pointed out Markus Troy and told him that he was responsible for the attack on the other pilots. For some reason, he didn't feel a shred of guilt at that. Then again, he was use to such scum. Quatre came from a more squeaky clean society than he had. He truly didn't know how low humans could stoop.

"Duo! You have to do something about this!" Quatre had said. "You know a lot and you could put these people behind bars!"

"You don't get it Quatre, _everybody_ on L2 knows about these guys. There's not enough _physical_ proof to lock them up. Even if I did bring up charges, my testimony wouldn't be enough to do anything and they'd get off scot-free. Things work differently here; I don't think all those 'reforms' are going to do anything to help."

"Do you really have that much faith?" Quatre asked softly.

"Listen Quatre, you think this is the first time the Earth has tried to fix L2? I can tell you they tried this twice when I was a kid. Take a look around. Nothing has gotten better. If anything, it has gotten worse. Even if you do get rid of the L2 elite, there's always someone else waiting to take their place."

Before anymore could be said on the subject, Solo returned.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked, pecking Duo on the lips.

"Nah, just a debate over the stuff happening on L2," Duo replied dryly.

"Sounds boring to me," Solo replied. "You want to get out of here? I'd rather spend the end of the year with you than with these…people."

"That sounds like a plan," Duo said, grinning. Dropping his grin, he turned to Quatre. "See you later Quatre."

That was it. That was all he had to say to him, after he had spent months looking for him; after their friends were brutally beaten and almost killed? Oh no, Quatre was determined not to let Duo get away.

"Wait!" he said and hesitated when the two turned and looked at him. "Do you think…I could join you?" he asked, anxious.

Now Solo wanted to go back to the room and get Duo into bed. Duo, however, couldn't resist the opportunity just presented.

"Sure, we were just going to watch a movie," he said, looking up at Solo's incredulous expression. However, that expression became mischievous as Solo figured out what his lover was up to.

"What kind of movie?" Quatre asked, anxiety leaving him, glad he was given an opportunity to regain Duo's trust.

"Just a comedy," Duo answered, suppressing an evil chuckle.


	30. Plotting

Author's Note: Just bits and pieces here, setting things up. I can feel your tension, even from where I'm sitting now. By the way, would you all be opposed to another lemon? Just curious, that's all. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: A few swear words, nothing big

Plotting

Things were looking up.

Markus Troy now had a place to hide his drugs. Even if they were discovered, it would lead back to Mr. Solo, not him. He was safe, his tracks concealed. Indeed, he was going to have a very happy new year.

Already, he was getting everything ready for transport. He'd supervise everything to be sure nothing went wrong. As long as he kept open the threat of killing all the orphans, then Mr. Solo would obey him like the dog that he was. He truly was spineless. What sane person would _share_ their earned wealth to the peons that made up the majority of the L2 population? It was illogical.

Why did he care? It was that blond idiot who would wind up poor first, not him.

He pondered whether or not he to blow the operation's cover and take Mr. Solo out of the picture? Oh yes, the corrupt L2 legal system would take care of him. But not now. Now was too much a critical period for him. When he built his base back up and expanded his operations to the other colonies, then perhaps he could. It would be entertaining to watch that fool fall.

But first things first. Get reestablished then let the good times roll again…

---

Duo relaxed into Solo's arms, enjoying the warmth and comfort. Only a few days ago, Quatre had left, but not before getting the piss scared out of him with a series of horror movies, or, as Duo and Solo liked to call them, comedies.

Quatre should have known what he was up to. He had used the same trick during the war. Not only that, he was sure they kept him up all night when he and Solo "retired" to their bedroom.

Having a libido kicked ass!

Yeah, the blond definitely looked tired and disheveled that morning, looking as if he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep.

For such a smart guy, he should have known better.

But what was past was past, He had let Quatre back in a little. Not to the point where he trusted him with his life, mind you, but as more than an acquaintance but less than a friend.

But he was going to be important with the whole Markus Troy situation. Everything was going as planned thus far, but he knew that good plans only lasted until the first engagement with the enemy. They were going to have to watch their steps now.

Before Quatre had left, Duo had told him to expect an e-mail from him. The contents were going to be extremely vital and the Arabian was to follow the instructions that came with it. It was all part of the plan and he was counting on Quatre wanting to prove, or reprove, himself to him. He could only hope that things turned out right.

Well, hello. He felt a mischievous hand stroking him _down there_. He could feel Solo chuckle against him as he continued.

"Now that I have your attention," Solo breathed, "what would you like for me to do? For you or to you, don't matter to me."

"Whatever you do, don't stop," Duo answered.

---

Solo found himself standing outside conference room 1D once again. Troy had made an unprecedented visit again and what about, the blond had no clue. It was best to go in and get it over with, as much as he loathed it.

Steeling his nerve, he entered the room and locked the door behind him. He didn't want to be interrupted during this.

Troy gave him that sickening smile of his and put out his hand in greeting. Solo refused to be pleasant, just like last time. He was here, ultimately, against his will since Troy held most of the cards. Duo was up to something, but he wasn't talking. He wondered why he had him agree to Troy's proposal?

"Just get to the point, Troy," he stated coldly.

Troy shrugged and sat back down at the conference table. "I already have the drugs ready to move out. How are you doing on your front? I want to get my supply moved as soon as possible."

"I'm having a section of my storage area cleared for…" he gritted his teeth at this point, "'new supplies.' I take it you have all the drugs boxed up in the appropriate storage bins?"

"Quite," Troy answered. "The question is whether or not _you_ are ready. So, which is it?"

As much as he didn't want to continue, he had no choice but to. "Tuesday. I'm getting restocked that day so no one is going to question anything when your stuff comes in."

"Ah, very clever. No one will suspect an additional shipment," Troy commented. "It makes me wonder why I hadn't come to you sooner. Perhaps my prospects on Earth may have been different."

"Are you finished?" Solo nearly snarled.

"Hold your temper, my long-haired friend," Troy admonished. "We're going to be business partners for quite some time so you better get use to seeing me often. Those brats are counting on you after all…"

Solo clenched his teeth together. He hated this, hated being in this scumbag's presence, at his mercy. He could only hope that Duo would come through with whatever he was planning. He didn't know if he could stand this much longer.

"Is there anything else?" he managed.

Troy seemed to ponder this before answering, "Not at the moment. I assure you, I'll get in touch if something does." He got up and approached Solo. "It's good doing business with you Mr. Solo, or should I say Mr. Maxwell? I didn't know you had a last name."

"I decided to get one because I got tired of hearing bastards like you calling me by my first name," he snarled.

Troy laughed out loud. "My, you have such spirit. I like that in a man."

"So what are you going to do, propose to me?" Solo said sarcastically.

"Oh no, I'm not a faggot," Troy replied. "See you soon, _Maxwell_."

As soon as the man left, Solo let a shiver go up his spine. He did not enjoy hearing that man sully that name. Perhaps it was a mistake to take it up?

No, it wasn't. Solo shook his head. It was Duo's name, a good name. Duo was willing to share it and he was willing to share it with him. And speaking of Duo…

What was his braided love up to? He would only tell him snippets of his plan and only when he felt Solo should know about it. Only Duo knew what their next move would be now.

At least the kid knew what he was doing, because Solo sure as hell didn't.


	31. Conspire

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, but I had to do something this weekend. I'm back, so no need to send out search parties and I thank you for your concern Trinity Tomoe. I know exactly where you are coming from, what with so many authors leaving fics unfinished and everything. Now, on to bigger and better things. Things are getting serious. Everything is falling into place. Another bit of Duo's plan is revealed. But what is it exactly? You'll just to wait and find out. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Some strong laguage, nothing too bad...perhaps...

Conspire

Duo set the laptop down at the kitchen table and stroked it lightly. He remembered this baby alright. It had been one of his "buddies" back during the wars. It was the very terminal he had used when getting missions from G, when he needed to hack into enemy computers, when he wanted to look up porn without anyone suspecting he was younger than eighteen… (1) (2)

Yeah…but that was neither here nor there. What was important was the fact that there were so many filters and software protection on this computer that he could send messages to anyone, anywhere, without being hacked into.

Though he didn't know if Troy was keeping that close of an eye on them, it was better safe than sorry. Even if an e-mail was detected, no one but the recipient would be able to read it.

Now to turn it on and see if it still worked. He hadn't used it since the five scientists had been captured by Oz and forced to work for them. He had hidden it away, coming back for it only after the wars had ended and he had become a Preventer.

Despite only collecting dust for a few years, it worked just like it had when he had been fifteen. That was perfect. Now, he just needed to wait for Solo to return and report. Needless to say, this was a delicate situation. One screw-up and…he didn't want to think about the consequences.

He heard the doors to the elevator open and knew that Solo had returned. He got up to go meet with him and to get the information that he was suppose to bring back. All thoughts of the plan dropped out of his mind as he rushed over to an ill-looking Solo. Oh, he understood this all too well. This whole thing was making his love sick. But if things worked out, then this would indeed be a small price to pay. But first thing's first.

"You all right?" he asked in concern.

"No, I'm not," Solo answered. "That bastard has me by the balls and knows it."

Enveloping the blond in an embrace, Duo soothed, "It's gonna be all right. We're gonna get through this. He's will pay, I guarantee it."

Solo nestled in Duo's embrace, enjoying the warmth from his lover. He couldn't help but believe in him but that didn't mean that he was doubtless. He was scared, terrified even, at the situation. Oh, how he wanted to believe Duo so much!

"Come," Duo whispered into his ear. "Let me show you something."

Solo allowed the braided one to lead him into the kitchen. Right away, he noticed the laptop on the table and he gave Duo a questioning look.

"This is my laptop from when I was still a pilot," Duo explained, sitting down in front of it. "It's secure and with it, I'm going to send an…anonymous tip to one Quatre Winner."

"And that means what?"

"Simple, my dear Solo. He's going to send it to Director Une of the Preventers. Because he is high in status, Une is more likely going to look at it sooner and more seriously than if we just sent it as an anonymous tip. I'm not willing to put myself all over it, and that's where Quatre comes in. I know he wants to prove himself to me so he's going to do whatever I tell him. I know it sounds like I'm using him but I don't want to be put back on Une's radar nor do I want the other pilots tracing it back to me. I'll go to them if I want to talk to them but not before."

"I get where ya—"

"_You're_."

"—you're coming from. So what do you need to know?"

"Time, place, who's going to be there, that kind of thing."

"Well, it's Tuesday. Can't be too sure exactly when he'll come. Troy will most likely be there himself, so that means I'm gonna have to be there. It's gonna come in with the rest of the restock for the hotel. He's probably gonna want to take it in all at once but what he doesn't know is that the supply trucks come in maybe two or three at a time before leaving."

"I see. You gradually restock rather than get it all at once."

"That's it."

As Solo was speaking, Duo had opened up a program and was rapidly typing. He summarized Solo's report easily then began putting down the instructions that Quatre needed to follow. Putting an address in to send the e-mail too, without hesitation, he sent it in ending the program as soon as it was confirmed that the e-mail had been sent and arrived at its destination.

"So that's it?"

"Yep," Duo replied, turning off the laptop. Looking up at the blond, he said, "You look tense. You need to relax."

"How?" Solo questioned.

"I know a number of ways," Duo answered, grinning lecherously. "And they can all be done either in bed, the shower, the hot tub, the couch, the table, hell, even on the floor…"

Solo caught onto Duo's train of thought and gave the braided one a lecherous grin of his own. "Oh, I know where," he said, picking Duo up in his arms.

"I'm dieing to know," Duo responded as he was carried away.

---

Ever since he had return to L4 after the New Year's party, Quatre had been checking any and all e-mail accounts he had, on the look out for Duo's e-mail. A week had passed and still nothing, but the blond Arabian was determined.

Whenever Duo said he was going to do something, he was going to do it, regardless of the consequences. That may have been a reason why he had been alienated after the wars but Quatre wanted bygones to be bygones. Duo was giving him a second chances and he would be damned if he screwed it up. He still got work done, just not as much as he typically would.

Duo was worth it though, he convinced himself. He had spent only a short time without Duo's presence and it wasn't something he wanted to experience again.

Then without warning, one day after he had finished with lunch, he received the promised e-mail. This was it. He opened it and read it eagerly, frowning at the first words he read.

Duo's lover was being blackmailed by a drugdealer? Duo wanted him to do what? This seemed farfetched. But then again, some of the things Duo had done were farfetched as well. He didn't know if this was a practical joke or not but the name Markus Troy stood out. He remembered that name; Duo had pointed out the name's owner during that party. The thoughts of the beaten-to-a-pulp pilots flashed through his head and the memory of learning that this man was responsible for it caused him to narrow his eyes in determination.

He began to type rapidly, open programs, preparing to send this information to Earth. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed the number to Une's office.

One ring. Two tings. "_This is Une._"

"Une, I have a hot tip for you," he said instantly.

He heard Une settle back before asking, "_And that would be?_"

"I have received some information about the gang attack on Trowa, Heero, and Wufei," he said. "There's a connection between that attack and the kingpin of that drug ring you broke up a few months ago."

"_Explain,_" was Une's short reply. He had her where he wanted her, or where Duo wanted her.

"There's a man on L2 named Markus Troy," he informed her. "According to the source who told me this, Markus Troy is responsible for the gang attack and is the kingpin you're looking for."

"_Is that it?_"

"No, there's more. Troy is blackmailing one Solo Maxwell into housing his drugs. He's going to bring the stuff this coming Tuesday."

"_I see. And how is Mr. Maxwell being blackmailed?_"

At this part, Quatre took in a deep breath. "According to the source, Markus Troy is threatening to kill all the orphans on L2. Solo is just trying to protect them."

"_And is Duo Maxwell this source of yours?_"

Quatre couldn't help but pause at this point but that was all Une needed.

"_Please tell Duo that his friend won't get in trouble with this._"

Still in the shock of Une figuring out who was behind this, Quatre asked, "How do you know it was Duo? And why are you doing this?"

Une paused, trying to think of the best way to phrase what her response would be. Then for the first time, she decided "fuck it" as Duo would so eloquently put it and say it bluntly. "_I guess I still feel guilty about the past three years. Duo deserves some happiness and I hope we can become friends._"

"So you're going to use this to buy Duo's friendship?" Quatre asked with an edge in his voice.

"_No. I believe or wish to believe that Mr. Maxwell came to Duo and told him about this. Since he is talking, it means that he is collaborating with the Preventers in trying to help 'fix' L2. At least, that's what the reports will say._"

"You really are sorry, aren't you?"

"_You have no idea._"

"I think I might," Quatre replied dryly. "Well, I'll let you off so you can get to work on this. I hope you can help Duo and Solo out."

"_So do I._"

Hanging up, Quatre let out a deep breath and fell back into his chair. That had gone over well. Hopefully things would turnout all right.

Then, perhaps, he could get Duo in the same room with the other pilots. It was worth a shot and they should be getting out of the hospital soon.

For the first time in months, things seemed to be looking up.

* * *

(1) I just had to put that there, I couldn't resist. 

(2) This in no way, shape, or form reflects the views of Anonymous Void with the sole exception of one ShadowMajin. I do not condone underagers looking up porn on the internet unless they can get away with it and share.


	32. Anxiety

Author's Note: This is a bit of a filler chapter but for being a filler chapter, it was not easy. In fact, I was stumped for days trying to figure out what to do about it. Finally, after some help from one ShadowMagin, I was able to create this. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: angst, yaoi

Anxiety

Solo was a nervous wreck. This whole…thing was taking its toll on him. He couldn't concentrate on crap. It was even beginning to affect how he was treating Duo.

No, he wasn't abusing him. If he tried that, Duo wouldn't hesitate to break every bone in his body. '_… if I hear that you're using me, I'll make you regret the day you were born._' Yep, he remembered those words all right.

No, what he was doing was more or less not paying any attention to Duo, the one thing that he hadn't done…ever. He knew the loneliness Duo had suffered back on Earth but he couldn't help it. He felt…dirty, if that was the word. Convincing Troy that he was true was difficult and having to use his brain to think of ways to smuggle drugs was mentally and emotionally draining. He had locked himself in his study, closing himself off in depression.

Tomorrow was the day…but what if he messed up? He'd let the Kid…Duo down, let Troy get away and make good on his threat. So immersed in this, he didn't hear the lock on the door open, the door following suit. It wasn't until he felt a shadow fall over him that he looked up into violet eyes.

"Duo!" He nearly shrieked. "How did you…?"

"Now you're being a blond," Duo replied dryly. "If I remember correctly, it was you who taught me how to pick locks."

Solo flushed in embarrassment. Oh yeah…how could he had forgotten that?

"Okay, Solo," Duo continued. "What's wrong now?"

"Nothing," he mumbled.

"Don't try that shit on me," Duo snapped. "Now, do I have to beat some sense into you or just beat you up? You can't hide anything from me, Solo. It'll be easier if you just talked about it."

Oh this was so familiar. Wait a moment, his next action was to sigh…

He sighed, looking Duo in the eye. "I guess I'm just nervous."

Duo's violet eyes narrowed. That wasn't a good sign. "Is that it?"

Solo knew it was a mistake but he did it anyway. He nodded.

"So let me get this straight," Duo began. "You've been ignoring me, moping around all day long, and locking yourself up in this room because you're _nervous_?"

There was no way this was going to end well. He held his tongue, looking away.

"Solo, c'mon," Duo spoke, his voice soothing. "Tell me what's wrong. I'll do my best to fix it."

Solo almost snapped out his reply but held it back. There was no use getting upset with Duo. He was helping him, only trying to do what he felt was best. It didn't mean that he had to like it though. Ah, what the hell? Why not tell Duo? It wasn't as if the Kid could solve this one…

"I'm scared," he whispered, not looking at Duo.

"Of what?" Duo asked.

"Of messin' up."

"You mean tomorrow, right?"

Solo nodded his head, not daring to look at Duo. The Kid had looked up to him for years. How would he take it if he knew that his childhood mentor was afraid?

To his surprise, he felt Duo embrace him, rubbing his back soothingly. "It's all right to be scared, Solo," he soothed. "You're new to all this. It's perfectly all right. Want to know a secret?"

Relaxing into Duo's embrace, he nodded.

"I was afraid when I was sent down to Earth with Deathscythe," Duo admitted. "I had no idea what Earth was like, what it would be. I hadn't expected entering the atmosphere would be so rough. After that, everything just seemed to flow. I wasn't afraid anymore. It was just the waiting that got me all jittery."

"But have you ever had lives depend on you?" Solo mumbled.

Then Duo whacked him upside the head. "Of course I have. I was a Gundam pilot, remember? I fought to protect the Colonies then to save the Earth. Of course I know what it's like. The only thing you can do is take a deep breath and go in and do it. Don't think about it, just do it."

Solo didn't reply.

Duo sighed. "Lets get you relaxed first, okay? Take your mind off of all this. Strip and follow me."

That got a reaction from Solo. "W-what?"

"Just do as I say," Duo replied as he began to head for the door. "Trust me on this one."

"No way," Solo said.

Duo paused at the door and looked at Solo. "Are we going to have to do this the hard way?" When Solo didn't do anything, Duo shrugged and sighed. "The hard way it is."

---

The next few minutes were a blur but ultimately, Duo was successful.

Currently, Duo had his blond lover settled in the hot tub, jets packing overtime. Hell, he had even joined him. But it just didn't seem as if it was doing anything. Solo still looked uptight and he wouldn't look Duo in the eye.

This was getting so frustrating. Solo needed to relax. It wasn't much of a solution but if he could just take his mind off of tomorrow, then perhaps he would be more like himself. It didn't seem as if the hot tub was working though. Okay, what else could he do that could distract Solo and make him relax?

Damn it, he couldn't think of anything!

"Don't you think you're taking this too far?" Duo asked, keeping his exasperation hidden.

Solo said nothing, preferring to mope instead. Damn…this was really affecting him. Usually it didn't take him much to get Solo to pay attention to him but this…geez.

Duo sighed, sinking lower into the bubbling water. He had tried his best but it seemed his best wasn't enough. Just look at Solo! He was never this blue whenever they got into the hot tub! In fact, last time…

Duo's eyes widened. That was it! If that couldn't distract Solo, then nothing could! Besides, it was a win-win. What could it hurt? The worst that could happen was Solo just shoving him away, but he had never done that.

He moved over to the sulking blond, pressing himself next to Solo. There was no reaction from Solo so Duo took the next step. He lowered his hand into the water, just above a certain human anatomy, which he took hold of.

Now he got a reaction. The blond stiffened, his green eyes slowly moving to look at Duo. "Kid? What are you—?"

"Ssh," Duo shushed. "Let me handle it." With that he began to stroke. He felt Solo try to resist as he felt his body tense, but Duo ultimately prevailed. He had Solo leaning up next to him, moaning for him not to stop. At that point, Duo was pumping, enjoying the control over the situation. Now for a grand finale.

With his other hand, he stretched and prepared himself. When he felt he was ready, he maneuvered himself so that he was in Solo's lap, just above the blond's hardeness. With ease, he plopped himself down, taking Solo in all at once.

"Kid…" Solo moaned as he buried his head into Duo's shoulder.

Duo rubbed his back, soothingly. "Let me take care of you," Duo whispered into Solo's ear as he began to rock his hips. Solo's arms wrapped around him as Duo continued to pleasure him, violet eyes determined.

His pace increased steadily, slowly bringing Solo to climax. Duo started to reach down to take care of his own problem but Solo beat him too, pumping him in time with each thrust.

Then without warning, as quickly as Duo had started it, it was over. Both were taking deep breath, greedily sucking up whatever air they could. The heat from the hot tub didn't help matters but the two young men managed to endure.

"See what happens when you ignore me?" Duo teased.

"Maybe I should do it more often," Solo replied.

"Do that and you'll be playing with yourself for a week," Duo countered.

Now Solo was cowed. But Duo could help but like the result. At least he was distracted. Hmm, what else could he do to distract him?

However, Solo seemed to have his own idea as he reached over to the hot tub controls to turn it off. Wrapping his arms around Duo again, he stood up, carrying the braided one.

"What are you up to?" Duo asked.

"I'm thinking about depreciating the value of those collector's items," Solo answered, grinning mischievously.

"Depreciating? Ooh, another big word. You must really want it bad."

"You know it."


	33. D day

Author's Note: The chapter you've all been waiting for. Couldn't think of a better chapter title though. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: a little strong language

D-day

The gates opened, the trunks within moving out to their destination. In the cab of one of the vehicles sat Markus Troy.

Excitement coursed through his veins, anticipation causing him to lick his lips. This was it. This was the moment when everything turned around and he would reclaim his niche in the criminal underworld, maybe expanded it to new heights while he was at it.

The potential was so great, so massive. He could only go up from here and not even the sky, no outer space, was the limit.

---

From their vantage point, the two scouts watched the activity, including the leaving of the trucks.

One pulled out a small communicator, immediately reporting. "Lookout to Leader, the Bear has left its Cage. I repeat, the Bear has left its Cage."

"_Roger that, Lookout. Delta is moving into Cage."_

"Roger," the Preventer scout answered. The two agents remained hidden until the disguised Preventer vehicles began to move-in on Troy's base of operations.

---

Solo straightened his tie, his previous fears beginning to return to him.

But one touch from Duo took that all away as the braided one planted a kiss on his cheek. "You'll be fine Solo. Everything's gonna be okay."

"Promise?" Solo asked, looking down at his beloved.

"Promise," Duo said without hesitation. "I'll be right here. Just do what you have to do and get it over with. Troy should be coming soon. Better get down there."

Solo nodded, giving Duo one last kiss on the lips before heading to the elevator. He greeted Barney as he descended to the bottom floor. His heart was pounding in his chest and he fought to gain control over it. Now that Duo's reassuring presence wasn't here, it was a lot harder to be calm. He could only pray that he didn't fuck things up.

The moment the doors were open he walked out, long strides carrying him to his destination: the loading docks. Everything was in place, as per Duo's instructions, down to the last detail. Even the space cleared out for the drugs was there. It was Troy's move now and, if Duo was correct, he would fall into the trap.

The loading docks were empty, not just because Solo didn't want his employees involved but he still wanted to give Troy a hard time. The man had requested storage space, not hired help. If he wanted to put his drugs here, he was going to have to move them himself. With only a few of the doors open, Solo waited patiently on the platform, awaiting Troy's arrival.

His heart was really pounding now and nothing had happened yet.

---

Duo paced in the living room, glancing out of the windows every few seconds. To say he was nervous was an understatement. He was probably more anxious than Solo. This was _his_ plan, not one of Heero's or Quatre's. If things went bad, the consequences were too despicable to contemplate.

Glancing out the windows once again, his eye caught movement in the streets. Sure there were other vehicles and pedestrians out and about but what caught Duo's attention was the line of trunks making their way to the building.

It could only be Markus Troy. They were taking their time, not arousing any suspicion to the untrained eye. He clenched his fists, tension building up in his body.

This was it. He could only hope his plan worked. Many lives were in the balance and it was one life too many.

---

Solo stood his ground as the first of the trucks came in sight. They were here.

Showtime.

Steeling his nerves and taking one last deep breath, he awaited the trucks' arrival. As each one pulled up to a door, the large vehicle turned around and back up, the annoying beeping sound accompanying. As soon as the first truck parked, the doors to the cab opened and out step the occupants. Neither were Troy so Solo made no move whatsoever. The process continued until the last door was occupied. There were still a few trucks unable to get in but they could wait. Nothing suspicious about this. From that last truck came Markus Troy in all his scummy glory.

At last the scumbag showed his face.

_His mother should have shitted him out and flushed him down the toilet_, Solo thought to himself, keeping a look of disgust from showing.

"Just the man I wanted to see," Troy greeted, not bothering to hold out his hand this time, knowing Solo wouldn't take it. "As you can see, we're here. So, where do you want to put them?"

"I'll show you," Solo answered and turned.

Troy frowned. "Aren't you going to help out? Where are your workers?"

"You only said you needed storage," Solo replied. "You said nothing about using my employees' assistance. You want to keep your drugs here, you gotta move 'um. End of discussion."

Troy snorted. "You have a point. I'll let it slide this time but do it again and I _will_ burn down an orphanage. Got it?"

Solo suppressed a shiver. "Yeah, I got it."

"Good," Troy replied. "I'll just go explain the situation to my men. Don't go too far now, _Maxwell_."

---

"_The Bear has entered the Cave, Leader. Over._"

Une nodded at the report and gave out her instructions. "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Echo, get into position. Foxtrot remain on standby but be ready to move. We only have one shot at this so lets get it right."

Receiving the affirmatives from the various teams, Une did not relax but instead grew more tense. This was their chance to make a difference on L2, show the upper class here that they weren't going to tolerate the old order anymore. Duo had given them this opportunity and she would be damned if she fouled it up.

It was a shame that Heero, Trowa, and Wufei couldn't be here but she made do with what she had. This would certainly be justice, as Wufei would put it.

Her thoughts paused there. Hopefully this could help her make amends to the estranged pilot. Duo certainly deserved better than what he had endured back on Earth. Putting this bastard behind bars would only be the start. That she was sure of.


	34. Bust

Author's Note: The chapter you've all been waiting for. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Obscene language, death

Bust

Oh no.

This wasn't happening. Not now. Not at this crucial time.

Troy's legs grew closer together as he fought in vain against his bodily functions. Why now of all times did he have to use the bathroom? Just brilliant. He inwardly shrugged. Well, when nature called, you had no choice but to answer. Besides, what could possibly go wrong?

Hoping to keep his departure a secret, he crept away to head for the nearest restroom.

---

Solo was sweating bullets. He was growing more nervous by the second. Duo hadn't elaborated too much on this part of the plan, so he had no idea what to expect.

"You'll know it when it happens," Duo had told him cryptically, "and when it does, head for cover."

As if that told him anything.

Glancing around, he noticed that Troy was no where in sight. Eh, he was probably mingling with his cronies. At least he was nowhere near him. Just being in Troy's presence made him want to go take a long, cold shower.

Sigh. So how long was he suppose to wait?

---

"Is everyone into position?" Une demanded.

The building was circled, all traffic in and out being blocked. She made sure that none of the suspects knew about the block so as to not arouse suspicion. There was only one shot and to mess it up was to let the drug kingpin get away.

"Yes ma'am," an agent stated, looking up at her for confirmation to begin.

This was it.

Nodding, Une let out the order. "Move in."

---

"FREEZE! EVERYBODY STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!"

Even Solo could have told those idiots that that was the last thing you were suppose to say to L2 criminals. Instead of heeding the command, Troy's henchmen dropped what they were doing and unleashed fire onto the Preventer agents.

Predictably, the Preventers returned fire. This was not productive for him having a long and wholesome life. Solo dived behind two crates already moved out from the trucks. He didn't cover his head like most people would. He wanted to be able to move as quickly as possible should the need arise.

It was just another survival skill learned on the streets of L2.

Besides, what would arms be able to do against a barrage of bullets anyway?

---

Markus Troy had finished his business and was returning to the docking bay when he heard the sounds of gunshots.

_What the hell?!_

Creeping quietly to the docking bay entrance, he took a peek in and was shocked at the unfolding scene before him.

_Preventers! What the hell are they doing?! How did they get here?!_

His eyes narrowed. There was only one explanation for this. Despite everything he did to monitor Solo Maxwell's comings and goings, all his communications, his every single move, he had somehow, _somehow_, managed to squeal. It was the only explanation. Unless one of his own men talked, which he couldn't see happening. He had them all wrapped around his pinky finger.

He wouldn't stand for this. He couldn't. But what was he going to do about it? How could he get the message out that nobody fucked with Markus Troy?

Revenge.

Oh yes. There was his solution. The one thing that kept him grounded. Solo Maxwell would pay for this. He would make sure of that! And he knew exactly what he was going to do.

Quietly, he backed away.

---

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"

"FUCK YOU, PIGS!"

"OH GOD, THEY GOT BARNETT!"

"DIE YOU FUCKERS DIE!"

Solo heard it all as he cowered in his hiding place. It was just getting worse and worse. This wasn't what he was good at! He didn't know what to do! Duo would though. But he wasn't Duo.

His eyes widened as one of Troy's men took refuge behinds his crates. This couldn't be good.

The man had just noticed him as Solo's fist connected with his face. Unfortunately, it was going to take a lot more than a punch to take this guy down. Recovering quickly, the man began to raise his gun. Fortunately, Solo's reflexes kicked in and he shot a foot out, slamming the appendage into the weapon and forcing it out of the man's hands, the weapon skidding away.

In retaliation, the man lunged at him and Solo rolled. Laying on the ground, the two grappled, wrestling for control. Solo kept gamely up but spending so much time off the streets was working against him now. The man was on top of him, hands wrapped around his throat as he began to choke him.

Crap, how did he get into such things?

Using one hand to lighten the pressure on his throat, he used the other to push the man's head away from him, up and over the safety provided by the crates. His arm was beginning to tremble and he was losing strength fast.

The next few seconds seemed to slow down and all Solo's senses seemed to heighten. He heard each individual gunshot every bullet whizzing through the air, the cries of the wounded, the curses of the unwounded. One gunshot was distinctive and stood out, the following whizzing coming closer and closer until, without warning, blood splattered onto the side of his face.

His assailant's grip relaxed as he fell to a side. Solo could only stare in fascination at the hole that was now in the side of the man's head.

The only thought that passed through his head was _Whoa…_

That was it. He needed to get out of there and he needed to do it _now_.

His senses still heightened due to the adrenaline pumping throughout his body, he peeked out from his refuge, waiting for the opportunity to make his escape. But where could he go? From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the entrance.

_Bingo_.

Without hesitation, he sprinted out from his cover, reaching cover at another set of crates, bullets whizzing by him without hitting him. He kept up his race for freedom and before he knew it, he was through the thick doors, slamming it shut behind him. Sweat was pouring down his face, mixing with the spots of blood, which he was relieved to know didn't belong to him.

He needed to go somewhere safe. Duo. It was safe with Duo. His body shaking from the aftermath of his nightmarish run, he stumbled down the hall, his legs stiffening every few steps, causing him to pause every few seconds. He didn't notice the lack of people in the main lobby. He didn't care. No one was about, not even the employees.

He reached the elevator to his suite, the elevator that would take him straight to Duo. Just a few minutes more…just a few more minutes.

The doors opened but instead of Barney standing inside, there stood the last person he wanted to see at the moment.

Markus Troy…

With a gun pointed straight at him, furious green eyes glaring, Troy only spoke two simple words in a cold voice.

"Get in."


	35. Poetic

Author's Note: The climax. The final confrontation. What you've been waiting for all day. I had two scenarios in mind but I couldn't decide which to use. So, I left the final call up to one ShadowMajin. The following death scene is what old SM chose. Whose death am I talking about? You'll all just have to find out. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: Obscene language, death

Poetic

The ride up to Solo's floor was tense. The blond didn't know how much more he could take. His nerves were practically shot to hell, his body was coming down from an adrenaline high, and now he was in close quarters with the last person he wanted to be near.

He should have stayed on the streets. Things were so much simpler.

The doors opened and Troy tilted his head to a side, gesturing him to go in first. With a gun aimed at him, Solo was hardly in the position to protest. Making sure the kingpin saw his hands at all times, he left the elevator, Troy right behind him. The man let out a whistle upon seeing Solo's humble abode.

"Very nice place you have here," he commented, taking in everything about the suite. "I'm jealous of you, honest. This place is beautiful. But you just had to piss me off, didn't you?"

"What do you want?" Solo sighed, his normal vehemence lacking.

Instead of playing around, Troy went straight to the point. "You've ruined me. Somehow, someway, you managed to alert the Preventers to my little scheme. It's only a matter of time before one of those maggots down there squeal and out me. They'll know who I am and they will hunt me down. Now please, pretty please, with whipped cream and a cherry on top, tell me how you did it. How the hell did you talk to the Preventers without me knowing?"

"I didn't talk," Solo stated, knowing it was the truth. It was Duo who had, not him. The only person he had talked to about it was Duo anyway.

"Don't lie to me," Troy snarled. "I know it was you. No one else had the balls to do it. Now tell me, what did you do?"

"I'm telling you I didn't squeal!" Solo snapped.

Troy's face contorted into an expression of rage and he pistol-whipped Solo. The blond clutched the side of his face in pain as he stared at the normally cool-headed Troy in shock.

"Do you know what I'm going to do now?" Troy spoke, his voice soft. "I'm going to burn down every single orphanage on this Colony. You'll have no choice but to watch as each brat burns to a crisp and you'll wish that that was _your_ fate. But lucky for you, it will be your fate as I'll throw you into the flames of the last orphanage myself and watch you scream."

Solo paled, his eyes wide in fear.

Troy's face twisted into a pure insane one. "It's going to be one hell of a night, Maxwell…"

And then another hand came out of nowhere, gripping Troy's hand with a bone-breaking grip, twisting his hand and gun to a side. In his pain, Troy was unable to fire his weapon. Fury in his eyes, he looked at the interloper only to see the cold violet eyes of Duo Maxwell.

"Who the hell are you?" Troy snarled.

Duo twisted Troy's hand further. "I am Duo Maxwell to those who know me. But to you, I am the God of Death."

Troy's eyes widened in fear at hearing Duo speak. This man was a Gundam pilot! What the hell was he doing here with Solo Max—

"Maxwell?!" he practically shrieked.

Duo didn't reply. He twisted Troy's arm further until Troy released his gun, the metal object falling to the floor. With lightning quick movements, Duo punched Troy in the gut, releasing Troy's arm and using his free arm to elbow him in the back. As Troy fell to his knees, arms holding him up, Duo's foot lashed out, nailing Troy in the face.

Troy got to his feet, anger blazing in his eyes. He charged Duo, punching at the pilot with his right hand. Duo simply dodged the blow with the minimal amount of movement, simply tilting his body away just enough for Troy to miss. Troy's rage increased each time Duo either dodged or blocked one his blows.

When he attempted yet another left jab, Duo caught the fist but this time reacted without warning. In an instant, he had plunged a large kitchen knife through Troy's arm, just below the wrist.

Troy screamed in pain as Duo head-butted him and shoved him back, the man falling onto the stairs. Troy watched Duo in fear as the God of Death slowly walked towards him with a cold, calm efficiency.

His fear pushed Troy to act as he scrambled up the stairs, Duo following at a much slower pace. He truly looked liked his namesake at that moment.

Troy went into the first room he could get to which was the bathroom. Locking the door behind him, he took hold of the knife handle and pulled the blade out of his arm, yelping in pain as he did so. Then the door was kicked opened, the lock now broken.

As Duo entered the small room, Troy lashed out with the knife. Duo knocked the weapon out of Troy's hand easily, the knife clattering onto the tiled floor. Gripping onto the uninjured arm, he landed a forceful blow with his leg right into the side of Troy's right knee, breaking it.

Troy screamed in pain but it was cut short as the force from Duo's next blow caused him to spin around and fall. He caught himself just before his head slammed into the toilet, his arms trembling in his weakened state. Unfortunately for him, Duo wasn't done with him yet.

Duo's foot slammed into the back of Troy's head, forcing it into the porcelain bowl, face going under the water. Keeping his foot planted on Troy's head, Duo balanced himself with one hand on the counter and the other covering the flusher, preventing Troy from getting rid of the water in which he was drowning in to receive much needed air. Troy struggled, his arms whipping out, legs jerking. One hand tried in vain to reach the flusher as his movements began to slow down.

After a few minutes, Troy stopped moving altogether. Duo leaned down, checking Troy's uninjured wrist for a pulse. He found none. Sure that the man was dead, he stepped back from the corpse and stared at it, daring it to make a move.

"Kid?"

In an instant, the cold look of the God of Death vanished, leaving simple Duo Maxwell behind. Looking behind himself at Solo, Duo gave him a tired smile. Without hesitation, he went to the shaken blond and enveloped him in a tight hug. Solo seemed to collapse into him, returning the loving embrace.

"You okay?" Duo asked worriedly.

Solo didn't answer. He just pressed himself closer to Duo, his body trembling. Duo began to rub his blond lover's back, trying to soothe the silent hysterics.

"It's okay, Solo, it's okay," Duo cooed. "He's not gonna bother us anymore. Never again. It's over. It's finally over."

Slowly, Solo began to regain his composure, little by little. When he finally looked up into Duo's violet eyes, he simply said, "What would I do without you?"

Duo seemed to ponder that before answering, "I don't know." Then he leaned in and gave Solo a gentle kiss. Pulling back slowly, he asked, "You okay now?"

Solo nodded as he stood back to his proper towering height.

Duo smile up at and stated, "I need to use the phone. I think somebody would be very interested about the whereabouts of that piece of shit back there."

Looking back at said piece of shit, Solo grinned and laughed.

It was really poetic.

---

The fighting had ended a while ago, the surviving henchmen restrained and being led away. The drugs were being confiscated, however, there was something missing.

Markus Troy was nowhere to be found.

Une couldn't help but be dismayed at this. They had lost him again. At least they knew who he was but the question was where would Troy pop up next?

Her phone rang and she answered it immediately.

"Une here."

"_Hey Une! How's it going?_"

"Duo?" Une frowned. Why was Duo calling her, especially now? How could she tell him that they had lost Troy?

"_Yep, in the flesh. Say, a little birdie told me that you were looking for a drugdealer._"

Une raised an eyebrow, knowing Duo couldn't see it but knew that she was doing it anyway. "Your 'birdie' would be right," Une replied dryly.

"_Now there Une, put that little eyebrow for a second. What would you do if I were to tell you where little Troy went to play?_"

Knowing he knew she would demand to know what he knew in a strict voice, Une decided to try a different approach. "I would get down on my hands and knees and kiss your feet, Duo."

"_Wow, you really want this guy. Well, he's up in the owner's suite. Would you bring a body bag while you're coming up to get him?_"

"Duo, you didn't…" Une said with mock-disbelief.

"_Hey, nobody threatens Solo's life and lives to talk about it. Now, can you come up here and pick up this piece of shit before he stinks up the place? We'd actually like to live here, thank you._"

Smiling, Une replied, "You got it."

---

Hanging up, Duo looked over at Solo with a smile. "They're coming."

"Good," Solo said.

"Hey Solo," Duo began. "You want to get out of this place? You know, go somewhere?"

Solo raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You have a place in mind?"

Duo nodded, grinning. "Yeah, I was thinking about visiting Earth for a bit. Wanna come with?"


	36. Reunion

Author's Note: Imagine my surprise when I saw how many hits I received for the last chapter. You really liked that one, didn't you? Sigh, well, things are starting to wind down now. Need to wrap things up as the inevitable end cometh. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: can't think of anything right now

Reunion

Trowa Barton trudged down the hallway at Preventer HQ, going only as fast as he could with one leg still in a cast and impeding him. It had only been a couple weeks since he and the others were released from the hospital. Despite being able to heal faster than most people, Une didn't want to chance it by put their health in danger. So now, she had them at the HQ, the most strenuous work being paperwork.

That was not something he enjoyed, by the way.

Then out of the blue, there had been a sudden amount of activity, Une leaving Earth for L2 without warning. A few days later, he heard about the drug bust. The kingpin that the organization had been trying to capture had fallen during the bust and was currently in the L2 morgue.

What was odd was that the kingpin known as Markus Troy had died by drowning. How could that have happened anyway? There wasn't a lot of water on L2 in the first place, despite being the largest importer of the precious liquid out of all the Colonies.

Then Quatre called, saying he was coming to Earth and wanted to meet up with them. From the call, the Arabian sounded…happier? At least, that was how he sounded to Trowa. And that was how the unibanged man found himself heading to one of the larger offices. Quatre had arrived a few minutes ago and had requested the other pilots' presence.

Opening the door, he found he was the last to arrive. Heero was still confined to a wheelchair, though he could walk better than most in the condition he had been found in. However, he still had a brace on his jaw thus he could only get sustenance from liquids in the meantime. He could have fixed the broken bone just like he had his leg years ago but Une had ordered him not to. Wufei still had an arm in a cast _and_ a sling. He had a couple visible scars and a slight limp in one of his legs that was fading by the day.

In the middle of it all was a beaming Quatre, radiant as always. Just seeing the blond's smile directed towards him caused his heart to pound harder in his chest. He revealed nothing as he made his way to one of the chairs and sat down.

It began with small talk, Quatre, Wufei, and him doing most of the talking as Heero was unable to speak at all. Then again, he wouldn't have said much even if he still could. But there was something about Quatre that was…off. It was as if he was hiding something. Plus, he had the feeling that somebody was watching him. It was a feeling only Duo could make him feel.

Then Quatre decided to enlighten them on the reason for his visit. "I called you guys here because I met somebody who wanted to see you," Quatre began.

Wufei snorted. "Let me guess, this friend of yours is a woman who wants to meet the Gundam pilots. Why would you do something like that, Winner? I thought you knew better."

Quatre frowned at that. "No, he is not a female, Wufei. In fact, he wanted to greet you himself but wanted to surprise you instead."

Heero raised an eyebrow. Trowa spoke for him. "And who would that be?"

"How come for some reason I feel as if you don't like me anymore?"

That voice…it couldn't be! Trowa and the others whipped their heads around, or in Heero's case turned slowly, to a corner of the room. There sat a tall blond man with none other that a maniacally grinning Duo Maxwell on his lap.

With the exception of Quatre, the pilots' eyes widened. Wufei's mouth opened to speak but no sound came out. It was up to Trowa to break the silence.

"Is that you Duo?" he asked.

Duo looked down at himself before looking back up at them. "Last time I checked, I was. I don't think I have amnesia, Trowa, if that's what you're wondering. And Wufei, close your mouth! Unless you enjoy eating bugs, that is…"

Wufei promptly shut his mouth.

Heero, however, glared at both Duo and the mystery blond he was sitting on. Quatre noticed this and moved quickly to introduce him.

"Guys, that's Solo Maxwell," he introduce, waving to the blond. "Duo's fiancé."

If anything, Heero's glare magnified, his hands clenching. Wufei achieved a new level of shock, his mouth falling open once again. Trowa should no emotion though he was surprised at the news. Duo was getting married?

However, it was Wufei who recovered first. "But she's bigger than you!"

"I'm a guy, asshole," Solo drawled out, wrapping his arms around Duo's waist. "If you don't' believe me, I'll flash ya some skin and prove it."

Well, that was surprising. So Duo was a homosexual? Where did he meet this Solo? And why did they have the same last name?

Wufei's face reddened with anger. How dare that woman-man speak to him like that?! He was a proud, noble warrior of the dragon clan! Who was this Solo Maxwell that he thought he could disrespect him like that?!

"Calm down Wufei," Duo said. "Anger doesn't become a warrior. You know that."

Trowa had no idea why Duo said that but it seemed to have the desired effect as Wufei gained control over his temper.

"Your…_friend_ shouldn't have disrespected me in such a way," Wufei stated.

"Hey, you could be Jesus for all I care," Solo retorted. "You disrespect _me_, I disrespect _you_. Got it?"

"Whoa there Solo," Duo intervened, looking at Solo. "While I can understand you, you shouldn't react that way. I only takes you down to his level."

This was a bomb ready to explode. Wufei's temper was coming back with a vengeance. Trowa just stayed in the background, not willing to become a willing participant of this escalating feud.

When Duo turned back, his gaze went straight to the glaring Heero Yuy. "Why you looking at me like that?" he asked. "Aren't you happy to see me too?"

Heero responded by only flipping Duo the bird.

Duo's eyes widened in horror, then narrowed. "Oh, I see how it is." He got up, taking Solo's hand in his and heading to the door. For some reason, Quatre was already by the door, having got there without anyone being the wiser. Then Duo stopped at the door and yelled out, "Hey Princess! Heero's being mean!"

Princess? What did Duo mean by that?

It was obvious that the pilots had been away from Duo for so long. Those poor souls…

A person appearing in the doorway caused Trowa's eyes, both the hidden and visible one to widen. Wufei held the same reaction. Heero, on the other hand, had paled, his normally cold eyes clouded with fear.

There stood one disapproving Relena Peacecraft and she didn't look happy.

Not one bit at all.

As Quatre slipped past her and out the door, Duo winked and flashed a grin at them as he pulled Solo with him and out the door, closing it and leaving them trapped with a not-to-happy Relena.

---

Locking the door, Duo tossed the key to Quatre, who caught it effortlessly. His grinned widened as he heard Relena's muffled voice on the other side. That'll teach them to disrespect him and Solo. The only one who could call Solo a girl was him and him alone. Besides, he was the only person living who had heard Solo shriek like a girl.

Payback was really a bitch.

He hadn't planned for things to go this way originally…but you never know. This ought to give them a lot to think about.

"Don't open the door for about an hour," Duo advised the blond. "She should be losing steam by then. Unless it gets quiet, for your sake, don't open that door."

"Gotcha," Quatre replied, pocketing the key. "So what are you going to do now?"

Duo looked up at Solo then back at Quatre. "Taking a vacation. The past few days have been tough, especially on Solo here."

"Speak for yourself," Solo muttered.

"I am," Duo retorted. "Anyway, just gonna take in the sights, maybe tie the knot, who knows?"

"Well if you decide to 'tie the knot,'" Quatre said, "at least invite me. I'd like to see it."

"I guess we can get Une to do all the legal stuff," Duo pondered out loud. "She does owe us, after all."

"Until then, just go out and enjoy yourselves," Quatre replied.

"Will do," Duo said, grinning cheekily as he dragged Solo out of the building.

As soon as the two stepped out into sunlight, Duo smiled indulgently at Solo, who had taken up the wondrous look a child usually has when in a new place. The former street rat had never been off L2 before and Duo could tell he was loving every moment of it.

Walking down the street, oblivious to some of the stares they were getting, Duo asked, "What do you feel like doing, Solo?"

"What ever you want," Solo answered, still taking in everything.

Duo shook his head in amusement as he pressed forward, suddenly stopping in front of a certain building. A wicked smile spread across his face as an idea formed in his head. Noticing that his braided lover had stopped, Solo looked down at him, confused upon seeing Duo's grin.

"What are you thinking?"

Duo looked up at Solo then pulled him down so that he would have an easier time whispering in his ear. Solo's eyes widened and he glanced at the building that had caused Duo to stop. It was the headquarters for one of the largest news stations on Earth and the Colonies. Looking back at Duo questioningly, he voiced the only question on his mind.

"You really want to do that?"

"Think of it as the greatest prank humanity has ever known," Duo replied, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Looking back at the news station then back at Duo, a similar grin formed on Solo's face. "Alright, I'm game."

Quickening their steps, they hurried to leave their mark on history.


	37. Honeymoon

Author's Note: Time to jump ahead a bit. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: light shounen ai, lack of clothing

Honeymoon

This was the life.

What could be better than just laying about on a sunny beach, getting a tan, drinking one of those drinks they serve in coconuts, and doing it all with your fian—no, husband?

Duo certainly couldn't think of anything else.

What a perfect way to bribe someone.

There had been quite the…reaction following Duo and Solo's history-making prank. Duo had snuck them into the news building, locating one of the technical rooms. Locking the door, he and Solo proceeded to do the nasty, videotaping every second of it.

Then came the fun part. Once they were finished and had recovered, Duo "edited" the footage, blurring out their faces. Next, he infiltrated the cyber infrastructure of the station and planting the footage in there, setting it so that it went off at a certain time later that day.

Sure enough, at nine p.m. that night, whatever programming that had been scheduled had been overridden. Solo brightened the mood with a simple "Who's that good looking guy?"

It was the best show he had ever seen.

Of course, once it was over, it repeated, starting over from the beginning. From what he had heard, the station had frantically tried to stop the footage but thanks to Duo's skills, not even the Emergency Broadcast Signal could override it.

The next day, both had overheard many local females gossiping vigorously about it. Once it had been figured out that it was on repeat, quite a few of them had recorded it. What they wouldn't do to find out who was responsible for this. Whether they wanted them both on a silver platter or their autographs was up for debate.

Relena had approached them and "bribed" them from doing anything else as…spectacular as that by sending them to an island paradise along with the guarantee that they wouldn't plot anything else on such a scale again. Of course, it was only natural for Duo to keep the original, unedited version. Why give up free porn?

That was Solo's logic, not Duo's, mind you.

Before leaving, Duo had requested to receive the marriage rites perform. Since Une was high in the government, she performed them. With only Quatre and Relena as witnesses, it was done and now here they were.

Upon finding out that this was a private beach and only he and Solo would be able to use it, Duo changed the "private" into "nude." Hey, he wanted a full body tan for once. Plus, Solo needed some sunlight anyway but a lot of sunblock would be required. Didn't want him to get sunburned after all and plus it gave him the opportunity to get his hands all over Solo.

Yes, this was the life.

A shadow fell over him, blocking out his precious sunlight. He opened an eye, catching sight of a wonderful view.

"What are you thinking about?" Solo asked wryly, towering over his husband.

"How beautiful the view is from down here," Duo answered.

Solo chuckled and settled down next to him, leaning back on his arms. "This place is beautiful," he commented, eyes gazing at the blue ocean before them.

"You mean the island or the planet?"

"The planet."

"Well, it certainly is that," Duo said, eyes closed.

Smiling indulgently at Duo, Solo leaned over and planted a kiss on Duo's lips. "Thanks Kid," he whispered, "for everything."

Duo opened both eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you thanking me? It should be me who's thanking you."

"For what?" Solo asked, raising his own eyebrow.

"Let's see," Duo began, ticking off everything one-by-one. "You rescued me from utter boredom, gave me a place to call home, cook for me—"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Solo interrupted.

"Then why were you thanking me a few seconds ago?"

"I'll tell ya later."

"Solo. It's _you_. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

Solo mock-pondered the question. "Don't know. A thousand, no wait, a million times!"

"What am I going to do with you?" Duo sighed. Catching Solo's perverted look, he quickly added, "Don't answer that."

Chuckling, Solo leaned back over Duo, giving him a long deep kiss before whispering, "Tag. You're it."

Duo blinked in confusion for a few seconds, watching Solo take off, blond hair whipping through the air behind him, occasionally revealing the blond's naked ass. When the words finally penetrated, Duo growled and jumped to his feet taking off after his fugitive husband.

"Get your ass back over here!" Duo yelled, braid flapping in the air behind him. "Just wait till I get my hands on you!"

"Oh, ya gonna make it worth my while?" Solo yelled back.

Stumbling for a second, Duo regained control of himself and increased his speed. Muttering about hyper-horny blonds, Duo let a grin split across his face.


	38. Epilogue

Author's Note: I'd like to take this opportunity to give out some thanks. First, I'd like to give credit to Jen Red Robe's "Blue Lightening" for inspiration and a model for Solo. Next, I'd like to give out thanks to ShinyObsessed, Rynn-Rynn, snowdragonct, and ShadowMajin for being there practically every step of the way. Your reviews were real encouraging and even thought provoking, ultimately leading to the creation of chapters I hadn't even originally planned. Now, for the rest of you, I have only one word to say. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Warning: light shounen ai

Epilogue

The tapping sounds from the keyboard ceased. Looking at the screen, an older Duo smiled and saved his work. He stretched his arms out and sat back into his comfy chair, reminiscing through memories.

He didn't regret returning to L2 now. He didn't regret leaving the others to fret over his absence. In the end, he had found happiness, fulfillment. He had found a home, created a family, hell, even earned his own keep. Just how he always wanted it to be.

After their honeymoon, Solo had managed to expand his own operations, branching out to L4 first, then to the other colonies, slowly making his way to Earth. There was just something about the Maxwell Hotel Enterprise that drew in customers, be they single night travelers, family vacationers, business associates attending seminars, it didn't matter. Of course, Solo took it slowly. That way he could still be with Duo as much as he wanted.

It was a good arraignment. A very good arraignment.

Meanwhile, he, Duo, needed to release some energy out. Since pranking Solo would grow old after a while, he started messing around with his laptop. The next thing he knew, he was typing up a story like a demon possessed. It was addicting, he couldn't stop! By the end of the first week, he had finished with his first book. However, it took some time to get it published as a few publishers were real hesitant about it.

That didn't discourage Duo a bit. Since it seemed as if Quatre was involved with everything, he got the book published through one of the publishing companies that the Arabian controlled. It took a while, maybe a few months, before people began to get interested in the book but by then, he had already finished a second. It didn't matter what the genre was, he went into everything from romance novels to action thrillers to fantasy and science fiction and even a few couple mystery and horror novels.

He didn't really care if people read his stuff. If they liked it, they liked it. If not, it was their loss. It just so happened that he had become a name in the fiction department and, as one critic put it, had a way of distracting the reader from reality.

But wasn't that what an author was suppose to do?

A few years later, he and Solo came across a real treasure. It could have been history repeating itself, at least for Solo. Since Markus Troy's organization disbanded, a lot of other L2 elitists were taken down as well for it seemed Troy kept a lot of blackmail worthy material on them. Almost like dominos they fell, but that was neither here nor there. The treasure they found was a small boy long, ragged, dark brown hair and the most intense grey eyes either of them had ever seen.

It had started out with them feeding the kid. They soon discovered that the kid was sticking around the hotel, hardly daring to leave its proximity for some reason. He could have been an orphan, perhaps a runaway for all they knew, but one day, Duo simply scooped the kid up and brought him up the suite.

Trio Maxwell. That was the name they gave him. Duo and Solo were his parents/guardians now, at least on paper they were. They taught him the basics of their street survival skills, in case Trio ever found himself on the streets again. That included pickpocketing, fighting skills, hell, give stealth lessons were included. Mind you, he wasn't as good at the craft as Duo or Solo were but, then again, they had kept him from having to use and perfect those skills.

Currently, Trio was growing into a handsome young man. He would be entering high school soon, part of the newly established L2 School District. He had been quite the handful when he first started school, using his thievery skills on his classmates. Lucky for them, no one had connected him to the thefts. At least not yet.

Closing his eyes, he focused his hearing, smiling to himself when he caught low sound of music coming from downstairs. Trio was in the gym again. He must really want to attract the attention of the opposite sex. Though from the way he talked of such things, the teen was trying to get anything he could, no matter who it came from. Did that mean he was bisexual? No matter, as long as he was happy.

As for the other pilots, he heard that Trowa had retired from the Preventers, due to the fact that he received an injury from a mission that would hinder him. From what he last heard, he had accepted a job as the head of security for one Quatre Winner, who was still running the family business. He knew about what Wufei and Heero were doing but he didn't care about it. It wasn't his business what they did and neither was it theirs to know what he did unless he told them.

End of story.

Two arms wrapped around him from behind, chair and all. A light hearted chuckle followed and Duo opened his eyes to catch sight of Solo's green ones.

"You done?" Solo asked, leaning down to brush a kiss on his forehead.

"Just finished," Duo answered.

"So what do you want to do to celebrate?" Solo asked, trailing kisses down the side of his neck.

"I can think of several things," Duo replied. "We could go out and have a fancy dinner, watch a movie with popcorn, put Trio in his place if his ego is big again…"

"I was thinking about something else," Solo said dryly, smiling indulgently at the braided one.

"I know you were, that's why I couldn't resist," Duo stated.

"You little tease."

Solo leaned down and captured his lips. Breaking off, he began, "How about we get some take out, send Trio to Quatre's while we're at it. That way we can be as loud as we want…"

"You're incorrigible," Duo teased.

"I know. That's why you love me."

Shaking his head, he replied, "Go do whatever it is you want to do. I'll be right out."

"Don't take too long," Solo whispered conspiratorially in his ear.

As Solo left, Duo shook his head again, grinning to himself.

Oh yes. Life was good.


End file.
